My Music Camp
by Tearless Sonnet
Summary: ON PERMANENT HIATUS “Narcissism gets you nowhere, Natsume. You should stop before it permanently damages your brain... not that it hasn’t already.” He smirked at me arrogantly, “A narcissist is just someone better looking than you are. I'm no exception."
1. Cafe Accident

**My Music Camp**

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 _Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness._

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**Summary:**

After endless summer jobs, Mikan Sakura has finally made it into a prestigious summer camp, a camp dedicated to only one thing - music. Mikan, with her amazing singing ability, has got to learn how to fit in, stand out, and survive. Because after her meeting with Natsume Hyuuga, the "king" of the camp, survival is a must.

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gakuen Alice.

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**Measure One: Cafe Accident**

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"Thanks Mrs. Nasigawa!" A slender, hazel-eyed brunette called as she fingered the money the elderly lady had given her for her hard work, "If I work part time at that cafe down the block then..."

She reached her home, slipping in the doorway.

"I'm home!" The brunette called, her voice ringing throughout the house.

An elderly woman at about her thirty's popped around the kitchen door. She smiled, "How's work, Mikan?"

Mikan, the brunette, smiled back at her mother, "Fine. I earned one thousand yen! Almost, but not yet enough for the music camp..."

Yuka Sakura, Mikan's mother, fingered her chin, as if deep in thought, "Hm... Well, I guess I could pitch in... Let's say, 5,000 yen?"

Mikan beamed, "Really?! WOW! Thanks so much!" She yelled ecstatically, throwing herself into her mother's arms.

Yuka giggled. Sometimes her daughter was a bit too bubbly. That music camp was hard to get into. She had passed the test, now all she needed was the cash.

"It's not enough, I still need 3,000 yen more... Ah! With that job at that cafe, I can earn a lot! How much have I got already? Okay... there's the babysitting I did for Mrs. Nagisawa, the chores I did for Mrs. Hoshina, the part-time job at Cafe de la Tres, pet sitting for Mr. Hinamori... I guess that's it... Then there's mom's 5,000 yen, and also the money I saved up from my birthday..."

Yes, the camp was incredibly expensive. 20,000 yen. Right now, she only had 17,000 yen.

But with 3,000 yen from working part-time at Cafe Sweets, a small cafe selling delicate pastries and sweets, she could do it. Besides, the uniform was super cute.

"I better go apply for the job!" Mikan yelled, running out the door, "Bye!"

Yuka smiled. Mikan certainly could make it into the world with a successful life, but what she was really worried about was who she was going to spend it with.

* * *

"Do you have any experience?" A tall, blonde woman asked Mikan. They sat in a small office, Mikan on the guest chair and the woman behind the desk.

Mikan nodded her head childishly, "Yes, yes! I've worked in another cafe."

The woman smiled, "That's fine. You're hired for part-time only though."

Mikan beamed, "Thanks so much manager-san!"

The manager handed her a folded uniform, "You can change over there." she said, pointing over to the dressing rooms, "And by the way, my name isn't manager-san, its..." But Mikan was gone.

Mikan walked over to the room, opening the door. It was a quaint room, open windows, with benches and employee lockers.

Mikan dressed into the uniform. It was adorable, or so she thought. She wore a white dress, with frills on it, a pink apron with embroidered cherry blossoms on it, on her head was a frilled headband. On her legs were pink and white striped socks, her shoes were white and buckled with pink polkadots.

Mikan gushed at the new uniform with delight, "CUTE!"

Heading out of the room, she gave herself one last check in the mirror. Looking good.

* * *

Taking a small pad of paper and a pen, Mikan headed over to the counter. A bunch of good-looking boys entered the cafe. They were the first customers of the day.

She approached them with a smile on her face. There were 4 boys, one had dirty blond hair, the other had blond hair and cerulean eyes, a boy with sandy blond hair and glasses, and the last one had raven black hair and crimson eyes.

The three boys besides the crimson-eyed one were laughing. Mikan smiled at them, "H-hello! Welcome to Cafe Sweets! What would you like to order?"

The three looked at her, eyeing her up and down. They smirked, especially the raven haired one.

The sandy haired one had a weird smile on his face, "Hey sweet thang! I wanna hot waitress parfait!"

Mikan clenched her teeth. She had no idea how rude boys could be, "S-sorry, we don't have that here."

The one with glasses tried to calm his friend down, "Y-you shouldn't do that to the poor girl...Koko..."

The said boy, Koko, grinned, "Nah! She doesn't mind. Don't you, sweet thang?"

Mikan could have just punched that guy in the face, "Just tell me what you want to order. And it actually has to be on the menu."

Koko sighed, "You're no fun for someone so hot..."

Mikan had the last straw, "Look?! Are you gonna order or not?!"

The boys besides the glasses one smirked. The raven haired one finally spoke, his crimson eyes gleaming, "Looks like sweet thang here's got a backbone." His voice was deep and husky.

Mikan frowned, "Just order!"

The boy smirked, "Fine, fine. Get me coffee."

Mikan wrote it down, and pointed her pen at the rest, "You?"

Koko grinned, "I wanna... cake! Cheesecake!"

Mikan nodded and jotted it down, "Last two. Waddaya want?" She pointed her ballpoint pen at the other two.

The blond one looked at the other one with glasses, "Yuu, any suggestions?"

"U-um... T-the chocolate cookies sound g-good..." Yuu said nervously, stuttering.

"Kay, we'll get that and... strawberry parfait." The blonde one said, nodding at Mikan.

Mikan wrote it down and turned around to go back to the kitchen.

"Wait a minute." She turned around to see the raven haired boy again right behind her, "I want some of that strawberry parfait too."

Mikan nodded, "Fine." She jotted it down on the pad.

"Does it taste any good?" He asked, looking at her inquisitively.

Mikan nodded. She had been in the cafe a few times and tasted the parfait. One word. Delicious.

"Hm.. Yeah!" she said grinning. The boy smirked.

"You've tasted it?" He asked, creeping closer to her, though she didn't notice it.

"Yeah!" Mikan replied, grinning as she reminisced of her first time in the cafe. It was the first dish she had ever tasted. From the cafe, that is.

"Then you don't mind me tasting a bit of what you tasted, do you?" He said swiftly, and before she knew it...

He suddenly pulled on her collar, and their lips locked.

Mikan's eyes grew wide with shock. The boy pulled away, "Tastes good. Really good."

He smirked. Mikan gasped. H-he was her first kiss!

Oh, he was so gonna get it...

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**END OF MEASURE ONE**

**There! I just finished another one... Sigh... I'm unbelievable... I haven't even updated on my other ones yet... You must want to bite my head off. Sorry. Oh, and this is NOT based on Camp Rock. NOT. I did watch it though. It was... okay. But Demi's smile is HUGE. Sooner or later, I know I'm gonna make another fanfiction series soon. I've already got the story in my mind. Watch out for it! Oh, and review please!**

**- Tearless Sonnet**

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	2. Welcome to the Camp!

**Disclaimer: **Nope, I don't own it.

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**Written by:** Tearless Sonnet

**My Music Camp**

_Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness._

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**Measure Two: Welcome to the Camp**

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Mikan frowned. She was in her room, counting the money she had. "18,000, 19,000, and finally... 20,000 yen."

She was happy and all, that she was able to get enough money for the camp, but she still remembered what happened in the cafe. The "kiss to taste" incident. She grimaced. After what happened, Tokiya-san came over and asked what the problem was. Mikan related everything to her and Tokiya-san bowed her head at the boys. Before that, she had whispered to Mikan, "Those boys are our best customers! They come everyday. We don't want to lose such good customers! They may be rude, but they pay well." Mikan understood, but she was still angry. She bowed her head at the boys too and the boy who kissed her was smirking greatly.

Mikan headed down to the dining area for dinner. Her mom was there, making noodles for dinner. As she helped set the table, Yuka questioned her.

"So? How was your job?" she looked at Mikan with a curious smile on her face.

"Hm... Just serving stuff..." Mikan said, absentmindedly picking at her noodle. She looked up at her mom, "But I was able to earn the twenty thousand I need!" Mikan beamed and Yuka smiled as well.

"That's great. When the camp again?" Yuka wiped her mouth with a tissue and looked at the camp brochure.

"It's tomorrow at 8:00 in the morning." Mikan said, sipping from her glass of water.

Yuka looked surprised, "Tomorrow?! If you weren't able to earn enough today, you wouldn't have had enough time to earn more! And you better start packing. And I still haven't filled out your admission form!"

Mikan giggled, "No worries mom. I packed already and filled out the form. All you have to do is submit it."

Yuka sighed in relief, "That good to hear... " She stared at Mikan, "Sleep early tonight. You'll have to be early tomorrow."

"Okay, okay." Mikan said, standing up from the table and heading to her room, "Night."

"Good night." Yuka answered back, smiling at Mikan.

* * *

RING! RING! RING!

"Ugh..." a sleepy Mikan groaned as she pressed the snooze button on her alarm clock. She tried to fall back to sleep.

"Mikan! Wake up!" she heard her mother call. She groaned, getting up again. And then, it all came back to her. The camp.

Running here and there, Mikan hurried to get ready. Brushing her long, chestnut brown locks at the same time brushing her teeth, she thought about what she would wear. Shrugging off her worries for the meantime, she grabbed the first thing in her closet. A plain red shirt with black suspenders and black and white striped arm warmers. Then, she grabbed a pain of white jean shorts, and leg warmers. It was the time of the year when it was breezy.

She ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. Her mother was making toast and she grabbed a piece, smearing it with strawberry jam and butter.

"The bus is going to arrive soon." Yuka said, looking at Mikan, amused. Mikan's mouth was full of toast and jam, as she was eating it in a rush.

"Huh?" she said, grabbing another piece of toast, "What bus?"

Yuka looked at her in exasperation, "You mean you don't know? And I thought you were the one obsessed with it all."

Mikan pouted, crossing her arms over her chest, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Now what bus?"

"The bus. The one taking you to the camp?"

"Oh? I thought you were the one bringing me there." She tilted her head to one side.

"No, the bus is going to be here in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1."

SCREECH

A large bright yellow bus stopped at the sidewalk of their house. Mikan grabbed her duffel bag and her handbag. She stopped to wave goodbye to Yuka, then rushed out of the door. Meanwhile, Yuka sat on her chair, shaking her head, "Oh, I hope that child doesn't get into trouble."

It was too bad that Yuka's hopes were not going to come true. Because Mikan Sakura wil not only get into a heap trouble, but also adventure, action, suspense, and most of all, love.

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**A/N: Actually, I was going to stop there, but seeing all the amazingly short chapters I've done, I've decided to give everyone a big treat and let the story continue on! This might not be as long as my other chapters, (at least I think it might be) but I'll try to make this a long whopper. Okay? And tomorrow (Wednesday in Philippine time) there's no school! YAY! Which means, I can have a field day and type and type and type. If I can. It is a holiday, I hope I won't go out. I've still got homework to do. And a lot of it. Sigh. And I had a test today, two actually. Filipino and Sibika. Sibika was fine, I got it perfect. But Filipino... not so good. I got a 9 over 25. Sob... I've never got a low grade like this. People have been asking me what my grade was and they were super shocked to know that I had got a low grade. I wasn't surprised though. Filipino and math were my worst subjects. And this test had to be on the hardest one we had learned so far. I just hope I can do better. Wait, why am I telling you all my personal problems?! Anyway, back to the story!**

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Mikan climbed into the bright yellow bus. The bus was large enough to hold many people, and it was covered in messy graffiti.

Inside, many people of her own age were complied in groups. She gulped. It was just like the first day of high school all over again. The popular girls were seated near the back of the bus, gossiping, putting on makeup and eyeing boys they fancied. Beside them, though not paying them attention most of the time, were the popular boys. They were all good-looking, though the group surrounded one boy. He looked familiar, but Mikan hardly noticed him at all, nor gave him a second glance.

The moment she stepped in, all eyes turned to her. They stared at her as she made her way to an empty seat. The familiar looking boy was especially gazing at her with interest. She tried not to look at him, and settled down on an empty seat. No one inhabited the seat beside her, so she placed her bag down. She heard foot steps nearing her, but didn't mind it, gazing out into the window. She was in her own world, that was, until a familiar husky voice whispered in her ear.

"We meet again, huh, sweet thang?"

Mikan bolted upright. Looking up, she saw a very familiar face that was too close for comfort.

"You!" she yelled out, grasping the attention of many people. Boys eyeing her with a certain "look" she didn't get, and girls glaring at her with full force. She gulped, but turned back to the boy, clearly not intimidated by the unwanted attention she was being given.

"You!" she repeated, "The kiss monster!" The boy looked at her in a way she did not understand. He blew in her ear again.

"Now, now, sweet thang. Kiss monster, am I? Let's see how much of a kiss monster I _really_ am." Mikan gasped, pushing him away before he could try anything.

"You really are a kiss monster! Get away from me!" She flailed her arms around, and the rest of the people sweat dropped. The boy wouldn't stop smirking.

"And one more thing, sweet thang, the name's not "kiss monster." It's Natsume. Natsume Hyuuga." And with that, he gave one last blow to her ear, and turned away.

Mikan was frozen, and if you looked close enough, you could see her soul pouring out of her mouth.

Hyuuga went back to his posse, it turned out that he was that familiar looking boy surrounded by popular guys. He turned back to look at her, he smirked, which she had expected, but he did one other thing that made her stomach churn. He winked at her. And that was the moment that Mikan Sakura considered suicide.

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"Wasn't that girl the hot chick you ate up in the cafe, huh, Natsume?" Kokoro Yome, one of Natsume's best friends, also known as Koko, said.

Natsume glared at him, "Yeah, so what if she is. Back off, this one's mine." Koko sweat dropped, backing away slowly.

"Chill man, I'll stay away. So, she's this week's prey then?" Koko said, looking at Natsume inquisitively.

Ruka Nogi, the blond foreign looking one sighed. He was the best friend of Natsume, "I kinda feel sorry for the girl. I mean, you're going to break her heart in one second flat, like those other girls you've dated, aren't you, Natsume?"

Natsume stiffened under his gaze, but still retained his cool composure, "She's different, this one." He shifted his position, his palm on his chin, while a smirk grazed his features "I like challenges, she'll be mine.. permanently. I'll make sure of it."

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The clouds were the usual - white and fluffy. Nothing strange. The sky was the usual - clear and baby blue. The same. She was feeling the usual - excitement, anxiety, nervousness, happiness, fear, and most of all, anger. The usual? No. The same? No. Strange? Yes. Everything except the "anxiety," "nervousness," "fear," and the last but definitely not the least, "anger." The anger was especially directed at one anger-inflicting Hyuuga Natsume. Oh joy. This was one example of an extra-ordinary day in the life of Mikan Sakura.

Stepping out into the breezy, sun-ray filled air, Mikan shielded her eyes. The camp was... certainly not what she had expected.

Everything was mostly grass and trees, she had known about that. But she certainly had not known about the tall, enormous, beautiful buildings in the premises. There were 3, huge, white buildings in the large grassy field. They looked modern, and Mikan couldn't help but feel that she was going to enjoy her stay here, wether Hyuuga was here or not. She'd have fun without his presence. Too bad she couldn't avoid the unavoidable. There, also in the middle of the field, right beside the 3 buildings, was a large stage.

She felt an arm wrap itself around her waist, and the now familiar husky voice in her ear, "Hey, sweet thang." She felt herself erupt into a million shades of red. Pushing him away, yet again, she sped as fast as she could toward the main building.

Natsume chuckled mischievously, "I guess it's time to pay a visit to dear old pops."

* * *

Oh great. She was lost. Mikan wandered and wandered along the vast halls. She was far too shy to ask directions to the administration office, even though there were numerous bustles of people hurrying everywhere. She didn't notice though, the stares and whispers about her. She was the center of gossip.

Stupid map. It never taught her anything about where things were supposed to be. The text wasn't even typed right. It all looked upside down, and she couldn't make out a single word. Stuffing the paper into her bag, she decided to find things her own way. Okay, first, she looked around. Maybe there was a sign or something...

"OOF!" Mikan said, as she bumped onto the cold marble paved floor. A hand was reached out in front of her. She stared at the hand for a while. It was pale, smooth-looking, and she wanted to grab a hold of it. But she wasn't paying attention to the person the hand was connected to.

"Oi. If you're not going to accept my help, free of charge, I'm leaving." A cold voice of a girl rang out into the hall. Mikan grabbed the hand immediately, heaving herself up. She stared into amethyst orbs, mesmerized. She quickly let go of the hand, smiling sheepishly.

"T-Thanks. I-I'm Mikan Sakura." she stuttered, holding out her hand.

"Tch. Hotaru Imai." The cold voice sounded again, and she really looked at the owner of the voice. It was a raven haired girl, about her height, with those amazing amethyst eyes. The girl walked past Mikan, and she tried to keep up with her.

"U-Um! Do you mind helping me?" Mikan asked, gathering up her courage, "I'm lost. Do you know where the administration office is?"

Hotaru looked at her, turning back again, not speaking. Mikan tried her hardest in keeping up, Hotaru's stride was quick. She kept up as best as she could, and then...

"OOF!" The second time in one day. She had bumped into Hotaru's back. They had stopped in front of a sturdy looking mahogany door, a gold plate labeled "Administration Office Headquarters"

Mikan turned to Hotaru, "Thank you!" She smiled. Hotaru seemed emotionless, but you see in her eyes that was slightly taken aback by that hundred-watt mile.

"Hn. Be thankful this is the second time this goes without charge." And then she was gone. Mikan put her hand on the shiny doorknob. She was on her own now.

Mikan breathed in, and then exhaled. Okay, she could do this. Right, she could. It was a good thing that Hyuuga wasn't there. She smiled briefly. The day she'd like him was when pigs fly. Wait, Hyuuga couldn't fly right? Good.

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**All right! Phew! I've finally updated. Actually, my classmate encouraged me to stop my laziness and update. Thanks to her! If she didn't I wouldn't have updated this early. Kidding. I would have updated, of course, but then not this early. Okay, okay, I'll update as soon as I can about my other stories. Wait for it!**

Muchos Love,

Tearless Sonnet


	3. Unwanted Roommate

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice. All rights belonging to Higuchi Tachibana.

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**Written by: **Tearless Sonnet

**My Music Camp**

_Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness._

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**Measure Three: Unwanted Roommate **

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She opened the door with hesitation, feeling more nervous as time sped by.

The room was small and plain white; windows were open, letting the breeze in. A long counter occupied half of the room, with people behind it. Waiting chairs stood on one side of the wall, and she made her way up to one of the receptionists.

Mikan smiled sheepishly, "I'm Mikan Sakura..."

The receptionist was a thin graying woman in her forties. Her eyes were sharp, yet warm, "Yes, Miss Sakura. At your every class, please ask your teacher to sign this form," She handed Mikan a slip of paper. Mikan nodded, smiling tentatively, "Here is your class schedule, and the key to your roo..." The phone by her desk rang, and she picked it up.

"Yes? Oh, hello sir." The receptionist stiffened and sat up straight, as if the person on the other line could see her, "Room number 324? All right, she's here right now. Yes, I'll inform her. Goodbye, sir."

The receptionist set down the phone on the receiver, and sighed, "That boy, asking his father..." She seemed to finally notice Mikan's presence in the room, "Ah, now, here is the key to your room. Yours is in building 2, number 324, in the 3rd floor."

Mikan nodded, accepting the key, "Thank you." The receptionist smiled.

"No problem, I hope you enjoy your stay at the camp." Mikan headed out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

After finally seeing her mistake of reading the map upside down, Mikan found building two, which was one of the three white buildings in the grassy field. It was as modern as it looked from its outer appearance, marble floors, and students bustling here and there, just as the first building. She took the elevator to the third floor.

Pressing the "up" button, she tapped her foot impatiently. Finally, the smooth cold metal doors slid open and she stepped inside, not at all noticing the person inside with her.

"Hey, sweet thang." She froze, looking up. Natsume Hyuuga. Could life get any worse? Yeah, I think it just did.

Mikan froze in horror. Natsume was nearing her, backing her up the elevator wall. She felt his minty cool breath on her pale skin, "Well, what have we got here?"

Just then, the doors slid open, and taking this chance, Mikan bolted out of the elevator. Natsume cursed.

"So close." He murmured under his breath, "No matter, I'll corner her later. I've got all the time in the world." And with that, a smirk displayed on his handsome face, he strode off the same direction Mikan ran off to.

* * *

Meanwhile, poor Mikan was hurrying through the bustling crowd, looking behind her to see if Hyuuga was following. He was out of sight. She sighed in relief, and slowed down a bit.

Passing numerous doors, she finally spotted one labeled, "324." She opened the door, and she couldn't believe her eyes. It was one of the most extravagant places she had ever been in. Had she got the right room? She checked her paper again; it was indeed, room number 324.

The room was extremely large, rich furnished carpets on the smooth floor, beautiful paintings lined the walls, and a giant crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.

She knew she would have to share the room with a roommate, but she didn't think of that now. She ran from room to room. She found a room perfect for her. It was a pale orange, a queen sized bed stood in the corner, a beautifully carved mahogany desk. She squealed with delight and jumped onto to bed. It was extremely soft, and she bounced up and down.

Her joy was disrupted when she hear the door open and close again. She stood up, a grin on her face. It was probably her roommate, so she headed out into the hall and into the living room to greet him or her.

"Hi! I'm Mikan Sakura! It's nice to-" She stopped in mid-sentence. For sitting comfortably on the velvet sofa, was Natsume Hyuuga.

_'Don't tell me he's my roommate?!'_ Mikan thought in horror.

"Mikan Sakura, huh, I'd still prefer to call you sweet thang." He smirked, and Mikan felt as if she could chop his head off. Before she knew it, she was backed up to the wall. Natsume's lips were nibbling her ear. She could have died.

"I still haven't forgiven you for escaping me. Now that's not nice." She gulped back a moan from escaping her throat.

What in the world had she gotten herself into?!

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**Phew! Another chapter done! This is a first for me, finishing two chapters in one day. Yay me! Be grateful, I'm being so kind. Nah, just kidding! Wait for the third chapter, it's coming really soon (maybe three chapters in one day!) I'm sorry this chapter was so much shorter than the other one, but this was the best I could do in such short notice. The next chapter will much longer! I promise (I think.) Last time, I was typing a chapter for a book my classmate and me (Patricia, she also has a FF account, except she writes Twilight fanfiction. Her username is PaCho de Nacho) are making, and I typed about 12 pages here in Microsoft Word! I know; that's a lot! I'll try my best to do the same here.**

Muchos love,

Tearless Sonnet


	4. Strut Your Stuff

**Disclaimer: **The usual applies – me own nothing.

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**Written by: **Tearless Sonnet (I change my pen name so many times! I'm sorry if you're annoyed by it. This time, I'm sure to stick to this pen name)

**My Music Camp**

_Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the spaces between the notes and curl my back to loneliness._

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**Measure Four: Strut Your Stuff**

* * *

Mikan gulped, trying her hardest to push Natsume away from her. In vain. And again, for the second time, Hyuuga Natsume fiercely kissed Sakura Mikan. He deepened the kiss, Mikan trying effortlessly to push him away. He was too strong for her, and she knew that. But that didn't mean that she would kiss back. Nope, not at all.

Natsume pulled away eventually. He just didn't get it. Here he was, an amazingly hot guy, kissing her with all his might. Why didn't she respond? And, she tasted even better than the last time their lips had been in contact.

Natsume growled in frustration, ruffling his hair with his hand, "What's wrong with you?!" Mikan frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What's wrong with _me? _What's wrong with _you_?! You're the one forcibly kissing me!" She glared at him at full force.

He smirked at this, "Well, You should have been honored to have been kissed by someone like me." Mikan snorted in exasperation, rolling her eyes.

"You think it's always about you, huh? Well guess what, life's not your little fantasy; you can't always get what you want." Mikan glared at him again, "So stay away from me and I'll make sure I won't hurt you."

Now it was Natsume's turn to snort, "Hurt me? You barely pushed me away. As if _you_ could hurt someone like me." Mikan blushed in embarrassment, turning away again.

"Just leave me alone, okay?!" Mikan seethed in anger. Natsume sighed, and then smirked again.

"Too bad, I can't listen to your request. I've already decided I wanted you. And only you." Mikan's eyes widened in surprise at his direct confession, "Life may not be a fantasy, and like you said, I can't always get what I want. But, I can try can't I? And I assure you, the words "giving up" are not in my dictionary."

Glaring at him one last time, she stomped back to her room, locking the door. Who knew, he could ambush her in the night. She shuddered thinking of the possibilities. She knew his type, a playboy. She had enough experience with that genre. And she didn't want to experience that ever again.

* * *

Sleep seemed to have evaded her that night. Tossing and turning in her bed sheets, Mikan didn't sleep as well as she would have liked. It was her first night in the camp, and it couldn't get worse. Or could it? Nah, it couldn't.

Mikan woke up the next morning early for once, as she usually was a deep sleeper and woke up late. Natsume was still sleeping, she was relieved, and she was determined to go ahead of him.

Dressing up quietly, she ate a quick breakfast of cereal and headed outside, the map in her pocket. She still hadn't memorized where everything was supposed to be yet, and she didn't want to get lost.

Taking out her ipod from her pocket, she walked to the large stage on the grassy field. There would be some sort of welcoming for the new comers and announcements.

A huge crowd of people of all ages surrounded the stage, banners and such were waving in the air.

Settling down on one of the white plastic chairs around the field, Mikan looked up at the stage. It was empty, for now, but those students wouldn't stop cheering. She didn't get it; it was like they were waiting for someone, or something, to appear on the stage. The girls, especially, were cheering like mad, screaming and yelling with all their guts.

Mikan looked around her, bored out of her wits. Two girls, one with wavy, bubble gum pink hair, the other with metallic, straight blue hair walked past her, apparently searching for seats. They were laughing, talking and conversing with ease. Mikan stared at them wistfully. Where was that other girl? Hotaru was her name, right?

Mikan only had one friend – she refused to think of that air-headed jerk as a friend – so far at the camp, which was Hotaru, though she did seem stoic. But Mikan didn't care, she liked her. If you looked deep down, if you surpassed all those... negative surmises of her, you could see she was a good person. Mikan giggled, here she was, talking about a girl she had met just yesterday like they had been long-term friends!

Waiting patiently for the opening ceremony to begin, Mikan continuously watched those two girls, they looked amazingly different, but they seemed like twins. Switching her gaze from them to the stage again for a split second, she felt a light tap on her right shoulder. Turning to her right; she saw nobody was there. She heard some giggling from her left, and turned there. There were those two girls again. Were they the ones who had tapped her?

The two girls giggled at the exact same time, the exact same pitch of voice, "Hi!" They said in perfect synchronization. Mikan smiled at them with warmth.

"Hi!" she answered, still smiling. The two girls stared at her in silence. Mikan wondered; did she really look weird? Or was there something on her face? Reaching up to touch her face, Mikan felt around, nothing out of the ordinary here.

The two girls smiled at the same time, turning to look at each other, "Cute!" They said, clutching both of their hands together, their eyes shining with an unusual gleam. Mikan looked at them in confusion.

The pink haired one spoke first, "Hello! My name is Anna Umenomiya, and this is my best friend," The blue haired one spoke right after.

"Nonoko Ogasawara. Nice to meet you!" They both bowed at the same time, grinning from ear to ear. Mikan smiled nervously, were they sure they weren't twins? They could have passed for one, no problem at all.

Mikan grinned back at them, "I'm Mikan Sakura. It's nice to meet you too." Anna and Nonoko looked at each other.

"Cute!" they said again, with that glint in their eyes. Mikan laughed, she had finally found two new friends, even if they were slightly... unusual.

"So, anyway, are those two seats beside you free?" They said again, and Mikan, for the first time, noticed two empty white plastic seats next to her. Nodding her approval, the girls sat beside her, smiling in satisfaction.

Trying to find a topic to talk about, Mikan spoke, "So... Are you two new here?"

Anna and Nonoko smiled, nodding their heads, "Yup, first time here." Mikan grinned; at least she wasn't the only new one. But that would be impossible, they were so many students here, at least some of them would be newbies.

"What's your first class?" Mikan asked, staring at her own class schedule. Nonoko and Anna pulled theirs out of their bags, and spoke simultaneously.

"Singing." They said, finally looking back up at Mikan, who smiled.

"That's great," Mikan replied, "I have the same class as well." Nonoko and Anna grinned; they were clearly as pleased as she was.

Then, with a sudden bang, lights sprang out on the stage, creating a spectacular light show of numerous colors, illuminating even the darkest corners. Mikan oohed and ahhed at the view, and so did the 'twins,' impressed at the beautiful performance that served as their welcoming committee.

A tall, middle-aged man, with raven black hair and crimson red eyes appeared on the stage, but he had no emotion whatsoever displayed on his handsome features. Mikan thought the man had seemed familiar, but she had no idea who he was.

Nonoko spoke, lifting her from her speculations, "That's the founder of this camp, Daichi Hyuuga." Mikan gaped at the name. _Hyuuga?!_

The familiar man walked to the center of the stage, grasping the microphone in his hand, "Welcome, attendants of the Hyuuga Corporation's Camp, dedicated to the art of music."

Mikan had never knew the name of the camp, only that it was prestigious and for music. And, she had never known that the Hyuugas of all people owned it!

"Hyuuga?!" Mikan exclaimed in surprise, "Is he, perhaps, related to Natsume Hyuuga?!"

Nonoko and Anna looked at her in shock, "You never knew that?" Mikan shook her head; she had definitely never known that.

"The Hyuugas are the most rich and successful family in the whole of Japan, they own many companies and branches all over the world, and Mr. Hyuuga has made the camp for the benefit of his son, Natsume Hyuuga." Nonoko said; Mikan gaped at her. She knew a lot.

"Natsume-kun is one of the most wanted bachelors in the country, did you know?" Anna said, smiling at Mikan, who, by this time, was speechless with shock, her mouth hanging open.

"That... that _jerk_ is one of the most wanted bachelors in the country?! Are you _kidding_ me?!" She said, her eyes wide with disbelief. Sure, he had some good features, but he wasn't_ that_ good looking!

Nonoko rolled her eyes, "Please, Mikan-chan, are you blind? Can't you see all those hopeless admirers of his, following his every move, who worship the ground he walks on?" Mikan shook her head; she just refused to accept this. That guy was all too much lucky; did he have _everything?! _

The girls weren't really listening to the speech now, all too caught up with their conversation. Mikan sighed, turning back to the stage, "Let's forget about this for now and listen..." Nonoko and Anna heeded her suggestion, also turning towards the massive stage, trying to listen to what was left of the speech.

"... And I hope you would all enjoy your stay in the camp, but please also make sure you heed to the rules and regulations posted on the bulletin board in the main building." A few groans were heard from some students, whom Mikan assumed were the troublemakers.

"Now, some important announcements," the crowd perked up a bit, awaiting the news, "There will be the annual music competition, where all participants are welcome. Again, details are posted in the bulletin board in the main building. There will be 5 rounds, in which each is given a theme. The competition will be held in a week, and will last till the end of the camp. Please, also, heed to the rules and regulations that come with the contest. Cheating is prohibited and those who cross the line will expect severe punishments, which also include banning from all camp activities and being expelled from the camp." The crowd's murmurs grew louder, all whispering of the regulations the founder had installed.

Mikan looked at Nonoko and Anna, and they looked back at her, excitement clearly shown in each of their faces, "Are you?" She said, knowing they knew exactly what she meant.

They grinned mischievously, "Of course!" They high-fived each other, than high-fived Mikan, who smiled in pure happiness. All that was missing was Hotaru-chan. Mikan felt a certain connection to that girl, which felt familiar... Did they meet somewhere before she came to the camp? No, at least she thought they didn't.

Daichi Hyuuga was still on the stage, clearing his throat to gain some attention from the now busily talking young people, "Ahem," he coughed, and the people quickly turned their attention back to him again, "Like I said, the competition will be held in a weeks time, so those who would like to participate, please fill out the form and deposit it in the box located in the administrative office, which can be found in the main building. Please go ahead to your first classes. That is all." He finished with an air of confidence and the crowd cheered. Mikan stood up, and the 'twins' stood up as well, making their way through the crowd of people.

There were many people, and they nearly were separated, but managed to stick together. Bumping into unfamiliar faces, poor Mikan was jostled around. Falling to the ground as she bumped into a sandy-haired boy, Mikan rubbed her leg in pain. A familiar hand was extended toward her, she did not hesitate to grab it, and she was lifted up. Hotaru. Mikan beamed at the raven-haired lass, who, as usual, was void of any facial expression.

"Ah! Hotaru-chan!" Mikan said, smiling at her, "It's nice to see you again, thanks for the help yesterday."

The girl, in turn, nodded without a word, then she spoke in the soft voice of hers, "Hn. Be grateful this is the third time I haven't charged you for my help."

Mikan laughed nervously, "Anyway, Hotaru-chan, this is Anna Umenomiya and Nonoko Ogasawara." She said, introducing them to her. Hotaru nodded, "Anna-chan, Nonoko-chan, this is Hotaru Imai."

"Hello Hotaru-chan! It's nice to meet you!" The twins said, grinning brightly at the girl, who still hadn't shown any sign that she had heard them.

But, apparently, she did, because she nodded again, "Charmed."

"What's your first class, Hotaru-chan?" Mikan inquired. Hotaru stared straight ahead as the girls walked towards the third building.

"Advanced pop." She answered. Mikan frowned.

"Oh... I have singing with Nonoko-chan and Anna-chan... What's your second class?"

"Dancing." Mikan beamed, she had the same class!

"Me too!" she said, linking arms with Hotaru, "How about you two?" She said, addressing Anna and Nonoko.

"Advanced country music." They both said together. Mikan frowned.

"Aw... I wanted all of us to have one class together."

Hotaru looked at her, "Oi, you three, give me your schedules." The girls looked at her abruptly, they were confused, but nevertheless gave up their sheets of paper.

Hotaru scanned the pages with inhuman speed, "We have three classes together today. Piano, Rock, and the Blues." Mikan beamed again, that was not much, but at least they had some classes together right?

They had reached building three, and they walked toward the long line of lockers. Mikan searched for her locker number, which was 3461. Finally, she found it, and dialed in the combination. The combination pad was high-tech. It looked like a mini calculator, and she dialed in her combination. It swung open without a hitch, and she stuffed some books she didn't need for her first class. This 'camp' felt like an academy, or maybe an organized hotel.

She looked to her right, and saw Hotaru. She smiled; their lockers were beside each other. That was lucky. She looked to her left, and saw Nonoko and Anna a few lockers away. She shrugged; they were bound to have been separated at some point.

She walked over to them, and they walked with Hotaru to their classes. They had to split up soon, Nonoko, Anna, and Mikan to the right corridor, and Hotaru to the left. Mikan waved repeatedly at Hotaru when they had to go their own ways.

Linking her arms with Anna and Nonoko, Mikan walked down the corridor, feeling bubbly. Those boys were looking at her in a 'weird' way and girls were glaring at her. Mikan gulped. Then, crossing the other way towards them was Natsume and his gang, which only considered a few of his choice friends. Those other people who crowded him in the bus were only there because they leeched their way into their 'gang,' but were never considered as part of it.

The real members of the gang were the following:

Alpha – Natsume Hyuuga (no duh)

Ruka Nogi

Kokoro Yome

Yuu Tobita

It was like a wave of electricity had passed the hallway. Mikan grimaced, determined to not notice him. Natsume, on the other hand, was smirking and staring at her. Anna and Nonoko were staring at the group, clearly very taken by the boys. Mikan ignored the guys completely.

"Hn, hey sweet thang." Natsume said, Anna and Nonoko looked at Mikan in amazement and shock. Mikan did not take notice. Gripping the arms of her friends tighter, she led them away to the other class.

Anna and Nonoko stared at her. Mikan did not look back at all, and led the twins to some seats in the middle of the classroom. Some other people were sitting there, and they gaped at the girls. They, however, didn't pay attention at all.

"Okay, what was that all about?" Anna asked Mikan as they sat down.

"Nothing." Mikan replied, refusing to look her in the eye. Anna and Nonoko snorted in disbelief.

"Yeah right, Mikan-chan. Natsume-kun was staring at you and he called you _"sweet thang" _too! That's definitely not a nothing." Nonoko said, pouting.

Mikan sighed. She probably had to tell them everything. And so, in the few minutes before class started, Mikan filled in Nonoko and Anna about everything. In the end, they were gaping at her like fish out of water.

"You're so lucky, Mikan-chan!" They said simultaneously, but Mikan shook her head.

"More like cursed." Mikan said, she grit her teeth in frustration.

Suddenly, the door of the classroom swung open, and a blond haired man – or was it a woman? – entered the room. Or pranced into the room.

"Hello! My dear, dear class!" the... erm... 'man' said, "My name is Mr. Narumi! I am your beloved and caring teacher!" The class was silent...

"Okay..." said Mr. Narumi, "Welcome to singing class! Now, will someone..." The door to the classroom opened with a bang, and a group of girls entered the room.

Nonoko and Anna stared at the group with disgust. Mikan looked at the twins in confusion, "Who are those girls?"

Anna frowned, "Those girls are Luna Koizumi and her posse. You don't want to mess with them, even if you really want to. They can tear you down in the most terrible ways without working a sweat. And Luna's totally out to get Natsume-kun, she'll push out anyone in her way."

The group of girls were wearing the most revealing clothes Mikan had ever seen. There was one girl who was in the center of the group, and she was the most arrogant looking and wearing the most inappropriate clothing of all the girls. Mikan assumed she was Luna Koizumi.

The girls stepped in the room, tossing their hair and winking at boys. Mikan, Nonoko, and Anna crinkled their noses in disgust. The sat down near the front of the side of the room. Luna's and Mikan's eyes came into contact and Luna glared at her with full hatred. Mikan didn't get it. What had she ever done to her?

Anna and Nonoko looked at Mikan, worry was plainly evident on their faces, "Oh no! Mikan-chan! Koizumi is definitely going to get you!" They whispered. Mikan gulped. She was in serious trouble.

"B-But, what did I do?" Mikan whispered back.

"Later, after class." Nonoko said; Mikan nodded.

"Now class, now that all these disruptions have ceased – " Mr. Narumi continued on, until the door banged open again. A group of boys entered the room. Mikan could have groaned at how bad her day was.

"Now, now, Natsume-kun, why do you and your friends have to be so late?" Narumi said, pouting at the boys.

Natsume glared at him, "None of your business, gay lord." Narumi seemed to pay no attention to what Natsume had said, and continued on talking, but he did seem slightly down.

Natsume and his gang sat down right behind Mikan, and she could have sworn her day had gotten a lot worse. And, Natsume was seated right behind her! She could have wished for an early death right then and there, but she would have missed her friends and family. And Hyuuga was definitely not worth that.

She felt her strands of her hair had been lifted and played with; she turned her head, and saw Natsume playing with her hair. She pulled her hair away from his grasp, and kept it to herself. She could have sworn Luna was glaring at her even more ferociously. She sighed. This was definitely not her day.

"Natsume-kun!" a sickening voice said. Mikan looked around for the speaker. Luna Koizumi. She should have expected that.

Natsume looked at Luna, without any signs of him caring about her existence at all, "Tch. Stay away from me, hag."

Luna pouted in what she had thought was a cute way, "Aw... Natsume-kun, don't be so mean..."

Natsume glared at her in disgust, "Didn't I tell you to stay away? Get lost, hag." His friends laughed, and Luna blushed in embarrassment and anger.

"Now, now. Settle down, class. Okay, who would like to do the honors of starting this camp term with a song?" Many hands were raised up, Mikan's not one of them.

Narumi stared at the class, and he spotted her. He grinned, "How about you there, the brunette beside the pink haired girl and the blue haired girl?"

Mikan gulped. She had not been raising her hand! This was probably the worst day of her life.

"Come on now, no need to be shy." Narumi said, beckoning to Mikan. Natsume, from behind her, smirked. Now he'd be able to see if his sweet thang could sing.

Mikan got up from her desk, her heart beating faster with each step. Standing at the front of the room, she took a deep breath.

"Do you play an instrument?" Narumi asked her. She nodded.

"Guitar." Narumi grinned and took out an acoustic guitar from behind his desk.

"Fire away." Mikan gulped. She could do this. Right?

* * *

**Everywhere by Michelle Branch**

_Turn it inside out so I can see _

_The part of you that's drifting over me _

_And when I wake you're never there _

_But when I sleep you're everywhere _

_You're everywhere _

_Just tell me how I got this far _

_Just tell me why you're here and who you are _

_'Cause every time I look _

_you're never there _

_And every time I sleep _

_you're always there _

_'Cause you're everywhere to me _

_And when I close my eyes it's you I see _

_You're everything I know _

_that makes me believe _

_I'm not alone _

_I'm not alone _

_I recognize the way you make me feel _

_It's hard to think that _

_you might not be real _

_I sense it now, the water's getting deep _

_I try to wash the pain away from me _

_Away from me _

_'Cause you're everywhere to me _

_And when I close my eyes it's you I see _

_You're everything I know _

_that makes me believe _

_I'm not alone _

_I'm not alone _

_I am not alone _

_Whoa, oh, oooh, oh _

_And when I touch your hand _

_It's then I understand _

_The beauty that's within _

_It's now that we begin _

_You always light my way _

_I hope there never comes a day _

_No matter where I go _

_I always feel you so _

_'Cause you're everywhere to me _

_And when I close my eyes it's you I see _

_You're everything I know _

_that makes me believe _

_I'm not alone _

_'Cause you're everywhere to me _

_And when I catch my breath _

_it's you I breathe _

_You're everything I know _

_that makes me believe _

_I'm not alone _

_You're in everyone I see _

_So tell me _

_Do you see me?_

* * *

Silence ensued. And then, loud applause. Some people were even giving standing ovation. Mikan grinned. Maybe this day wasn't as bad as she had thought.

* * *

**A/N: YES! I told you guys this one would be kinda long! Sorry, you guys must be really pissed at me for updating this late. Sorry! The next update will be coming soon too! YES! I'M ON A ROLL! I'M ON FIRE! WOOHOO! XD**

**- Tearless Sonnet **


	5. Anathema

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice, but if I wish real hard, do you think my greatest ambition will come true? I don't think so.

* * *

**Written by: **Tearless Sonnet

**My Music Camp**

_Music was my refuge. I could craw into the spaces between the notes and curl my back to loneliness._

* * *

**Measure Five: Anathema**

* * *

_**-** **a-nath-e-ma **(noun): object of loathing; general curse; something or someone that one vehemently dislikes_

* * *

Loud applause rang through her ears, and she couldn't have felt happier. That was, until she felt the piercing glare a certain Luna Koizumi sent her way. If the saying "If looks could kill" were true, she would have been dead by now.

Anna and Nonoko seemed to have noticed it too, for they were throwing worried and anxious glances her way. She, in turn, threw a reassuring smile towards them, but she felt exactly the opposite. Inside, she was panicking.

In her own school, she hadn't certainly been the center of attention. Well, there were those "weird" glances those guys gave her and those glares given to her by the mean popular girls of the school. But they'd never done anything to hurt her. Well, in physical terms. But, they tried their hardest to lower her self-esteem. And, the bad thing is, they succeeded.

Mikan Sakura thought of herself as mediocre, if not the lowest in the food chain. That, even if she had no idea of, was impossibly untrue. Mikan was pretty, that was for sure, but was also the most targeted, in a way.

Narumi smiled at her knowingly, and she smiled back at him sheepishly. She knew she hadn't done as well as some others, but she, at least, did not crash and burn right?

The class bell wasn't due to ring till a few more minutes, and Narumi gave them homework to submit an essay on popular singers in the 21st century.

Finally, after what seemed like years, the class bell gave a shrill ring, and Mikan, Anna, and Nonoko hurriedly sped out the room.

Nonoko and Anna all talked at the same time, though saying different things. Mikan could barely keep up, let alone answer them. She sighed in exhaustion, placing two of her fingers in her mouth and giving a loud whistle that caught both their attention.

"Okay, okay. One by one, and _slowly _this time." Mikan said, rolling her eyes. Anna and Nonoko each took a deep breath; Anna started first.

"It's absolutely certain! Luna Koizumi is totally out to get you!" Anna ushered frantically, her panicked eyes scourging the crowd, as if Luna would be in the midst, waiting to strike.

Mikan let her cool facade drop immediately, "Y-you really think so?" Anna and Nonoko nodded simultaneously.

"Definitely." They replied in a firm fashion; Mikan shuddered at their direct handling of the situation. She couldn't have expected less.

Mikan sighed and shook her head wearily, "What do I do now?" Anna and Nonoko looked at each other worriedly, confusion clearly etched in their eyes, questioning each other on a solution to their friend's dilemma.

Nonoko looked back at Mikan, "We're not sure; just avoid both Luna and Natsume at all costs." Mikan smirked.

"I don't mind avoiding either one of them." It was true; both were clearly not one of her favorite people. She would have gladly avoided them even if she weren't advised to.

Anna sighed, "You've got to take this more seriously! Luna will kill_ anyone_ in her way to becoming top!"

Nonoko nodded in agreement, "Yeah! And if she sees you get as close an inch to Natsume," she shuddered in fright, "you are so D-E-A-D."

Mikan smirked, tilting her head to one side, "You seriously think that Koizumi will actually _beat _me? In a million years. I don't, scratch that, I_ never_ back down from a challenge," She rolled her eyes. "I thought you guys knew me better than that."

Anna and Nonoko looked at each other in surprise, then at Mikan. They certainly had not seen this side of Mikan Sakura. Boy, they had a lot to learn.

Mikan blanked for a moment, then grinned happily, "Anyway, I'll go see Hotaru-chan in dancing! See you later then at lunch, girlies!" Anna and Nonoko gaped at her as she bounded down the halls in a fashion that belonged on a runway. Yes, they certainly had a _lot _to learn about little miss Mikan Sakura.

* * *

"Hey, Hotaru-chan!" Mikan called out to the mentioned lass, grinning in joy at being united with her friend. Hotaru, on the other hand, looked same as always, her cold, emotionless self did not turn to look at the brunette. Mikan approached the girl, grinning as she sat down beside her.

They were in dance class, stretched across the wooden-planked floor along with selective numbers of people.

Mikan sighed, leaning back, when was the class going to start? She shoved her hands into the pockets of the sweatpants she was wearing. Gross, sweatpants. She wouldn't have chosen to wear it, but there had to be a dress code to stop people from wearing "inappropriate" clothing. Heh, that was a definite act to restrict Luna. She didn't mind that fact.

Mikan smirked, rolling her eyes. She didn't have a care in the world. Not. Fear subsided in her, was Luna in the same class? She sincerely hoped not.

The dance room was vast and spacious, wooden planks lined neatly served as the floor, a huge mirror covered the sidewall, and it was air-conditioned. Its walls were a plain white, and a small upright piano stood at the edge of the room. Large shelves filled with numerous CDs of different varieties stalked one side of the room. Bright, fluorescent light bulbs showered the room in a dazzling array of light.

The door swung open, and in strutted Luna Koizumi and her cronies. Mikan stifled a gasp; she didn't feel so cool and refined anymore. Heck, she never had been!

Luna looked the same as always, and Mikan had no idea how, but she managed to make the baggy jeans and plain white shirt look indecent. The brunette winced as Koizumi's piercing glare headed her way. _Please, please, don't let her come this way!_ Mikan thought, squinting her eyes in the attempt to block her view of the blonde girl.

It looked like God wouldn't answer her prayers just this once.

"Well lookie here, its little miss Sakura!" A taunting, sickening voice said. Mikan looked up. Luna Koizumi, in all her non-existent glory stood in front of her, arms folded across her chest, sneering at Mikan with her face contorted in a mixture of disgust, arrogance, and... was that fear? Nah. Impossible.

Mikan kept silent, ignoring Luna's taunts. Luna was slowly beginning to lose patience and snapped.

"Look here you – " Luna paused as the door to the room opened once again. Four familiar boys entered the room. Mikan groaned; she should have expected this. Luna squealed, treading over to the boys.

"Natsume-kun! I'm so glad to see you!" Luna purred, clinging to the boy. Natsume looked at her as if she was a particularly gruesome scab that he would have so loved to flick away. Which he did, at some rate. He peeled her off of him, pushing her away roughly.

"Didn't I tell you to stay away cow? Your disgustingly screechy voice is hurting my ears." Natsume said, glaring at the girl who was frowning and turning red with embarrassment and anger.

"Oh, but Natsume-kun – " Natsume strode away from her, motioning for the other boys to do the same.

Natsume, Ruka, Koko, and Yuu headed toward their restricted corner of the room, which was conveniently positioned close to Mikan and Hotaru.

Mikan grimaced, shaking her head. She would avoid them. At least, try her hardest to avoid them.

Natsume smirked, inching closer and closer to where Mikan sat. Mikan, on the other hand, inched farther and farther away from him. Natsume grew restless, glaring at her to stay put. Mikan, frightened out of her wits, remained where she was, though she refused to look at him, cowering away when he grew closer.

Hotaru noticed something happening, and quickly sat in between Mikan and Natsume. Hyuuga swore, glaring at Hotaru. Hotaru did nothing more than give off her infamous devoid stare; Natsume flinched. He had never been looked at that way before. Mikan smirked, thanking Hotaru in her mind.

Hotaru looked to the front, patiently waiting for the teacher. In a second, the door swung open yet again, and a man walked in.

He was tall, his silver hair tied in a small ponytail at the back of his nape, and his piercing grey eyes looked mystical, as if he were in his own little world. He strode to the front of the room in an elegant manner, surveying the batch with a scrutinized stare. Mikan gulped, she hoped she would do well this time and impress their teacher. She wasn't the best at dancing. Well, she did, in fact, take ballet lessons when she was 9, but she probably didn't remember it all now.

Their teacher's inspection finished, he spoke addressing the whole class with a smooth voice, "I am Kenta Tsukishima, your dancing instructor. Who here, are experienced in the art of dancing?"

A few hands were raised, Mikan's not one of them. She turned to look at Natsume; his hand was raised upward in a lazy manner. Mikan turned back to the front; she had to avoid him. Avoiding was not turning back to see if he had taken up dancing before, that was for sure. She wasn't supposed to be looking at him at all!

Tsukishima's smooth voice shook her of her reverie, "All students are to be split up and work in groups. Ballet, hip-hop, ballroom dancing, and folk dance." Mikan's head perked up. Split up into groups? She didn't like the sound of that. Why could they have just done it as one, whole group? Apparently, Tsukishima-sensei didn't think so, "I will go around and observe each group and, if necessary, point out mistakes needed to be changed."

Mikan gulped again, what group should she join? Ballroom dancing was crossed out of the list. They were only for couples, and she didn't want to be paired up with Hyuuga, who would certainly find a way for them to be paired up if she went into that group. Folk dance? There was also a chance that she could be paired up with Hyuuga, it was a slim chance this time, but she wouldn't resort to taking risks. Now it was all down to two groups. Ballet or hip-hop. Hip-hop was almost certainly the group Natsume would join, and she didn't want to be in the same group as him. And besides, she had taken up ballet before. About 7 years ago. No matter, she would just "wing it." Natsume would never resort to taking desperate measures and join ballet right? It would shatter his reputation to pieces. Mikan smirked smugly, ballet it is.

* * *

Natsume grimaced, gritting his teeth in frustration. He, of course, had taken hip-hop. Well, that was after Mikan had decided to join ballet. He cussed, feeling very grouchy. Things didn't go the way he had planned. He had _assumed _that the little brunette would go for ballroom dancing. He would gladly join that group, and make sure that he... ahem... _persuaded _their teacher to let him be paired up with her. Or, if that plan didn't go too well, he would join Mikan in folk dance, and "persuade" again the teacher to be paired up with her. If there were pairs, which he would assure. But no, she just _had _to join the ballet group did she? That was one thing he could not put up with, and no amount of "persuasion" could change his mind. Ballet was the worst thing he could have joined.

His eyes searched the room, still feeling surly. Finally, his crimson orbs came to rest at a certain brunette in the corner of the room with the rest of those tutu-wearing freaks. (A/N: Look, I don't have a thing against ballet, okay? Its just that its Natsume we're talking about, and you know how he is) He grimaced again. If only he could just pull her away from the rest, and somehow "convince" the teacher to let them in the ballroom dancing group, and also manage to cope with her ear piercing screams and struggles. But that would need a miracle. He sighed mentally.

"Oi! Natsume!" Natsume turned his eyes away from her reluctantly to look at his best friend.

"Ruka," he muttered darkly, though loud enough for Ruka to hear. Ruka looked back at him, surprised at his sudden change of mood.

"What's up with you man? Who died?" Ruka said; Natsume glared at him and he flinched back.

"Tch," Natsume growled, facing away from him. Ruka noticed his intense gaze towards Mikan, and he smirked knowingly.

"Oh, I see. You've got love problems." Natsume turned to look back at him in less then a second, his glare sent shivers down Ruka's spine, "Okay, okay! Calm down." Natsume rolled his eyes and turned back to his Mikan-gazing. Ruka couldn't help but sigh and settle down beside the raven-haired stud.

Their group, which was mostly composed of built, big-muscled men who looked more intimidating than intellectual, were just lounging around, no action whatsoever. Natsume could have groaned at how bad this year's batch was, but held it back. It would ruin his reputation. He longed for Tsukishima to come over, and he would show them how he did.

His prayers, unlike Mikan's, were answered, and Tsukishima came around toward them for an inspection. Natsume smirked, pushing himself up from the floor effortlessly. Tsukishima eyed him, clearly impressed at his smooth maneuvers.

"Hip-hop. Show me what you can do. You may dance in groups or individual." Tsukishima said, eying the others besides Natsume, Koko, and Ruka. Yuu, most definitely, had taken up folk dancing.

Natsume didn't speak, but smirked and walked towards the large shelves of CDs, taking his time in choosing one particular choice. He browsed through the wide selection, finally deciding on one CD. He smirked yet again, this would do. Heading then towards the CD player in the corner of the room, which was on top of the piano, along with a pot of nearly withered sunflowers. He stared at the pot of flowers in disgust before lazily clicking open the CD compartment and slipping in his CD inside.

He turned, aware of the eyes following his every move. He smirked; how he loved all the attention. He would show her, she would see that he was perfect, the best for her. He felt her gaze on him more pronounced then the others in the room. Heck, he didn't care about the others! All he cared about was making a good impression on _her. _Not anyone else but her. It was hard enough to concentrate and remember that they weren't the only two people in the world when they were alone together.

He nodded toward Ruka and Koko. They grinned and followed toward the center of the room. People made space for them, knowing what was to come. Their excited faces grew ecstatic as Natsume flipped his hair back lazily, his eyes drifting toward Mikan, whose face showed nothing but amazement. He smirked mischievously and winked at her. She grew red.

The music started.

A good beat flowed through from the CD player and echoed through the rest of the room.

Natsume smirked. He would show them. He would show _her._

* * *

_Play Low by Flo Rida_

* * *

Mikan's eyes widened as she watched Natsume, Koko, and Ruka dance to the beat of the song. Especially Natsume. He was the most amazing thing she had ever seen! His body moved to the beat smoothly and effortlessly, in moves she could have never imagined possible.

He was an expert, she couldn't deny that fact. She watched him spin on his head, break dance, and many more amazing tricks she couldn't have dreamed. Sure, Koko and Ruka were good as well, but they were nothing compared to Hyuuga Natsume who was as good as... as... she couldn't think of anything else that could match to him.

His body was in good shape, how could she tell? Well, his bare muscles were creasing lines into his shirt, and damping because of his sweat. Mikan blushed, trying to tear her eyes away from the reincarnated Adonis, but in vain. She couldn't keep her mind (or eyes) off of him.

She watched every incredible move he made, surprised and shocked. His moves matched perfectly with the beat of the music, he made dancing hip-hop look like it was so easy. But she knew better, she also had taken up hip-hop before, once in the summer. It was pure torture. She could barely keep up with the others; she quit immediately, finding ballet more interesting. But this time, this time, he made her _wish _she hadn't quit dancing. He made her wish she could have tried a little more harder, so she could have excelled. Well, she did know the saying, "Practice makes perfect."

His raven-black hair sometimes swept into his eyes, making him look more... Mikan couldn't say it. She just couldn't. Wasn't she supposed to avoid him? Wasn't she? Well, it wouldn't hurt to take a little break. She continued on watching him, her large almond eyes widening even more. Natsume moved like it was nothing. He moved as if the world was dancing along with him, his whole body (which was not at all bad, by the way) moved as one single rhythm that was the star of the show. Mikan didn't dare herself to blink even once, fearing she would miss something spectacular.

To her dismay, his little breathtaking show came into an end. He finished it off with one incredible move, and Mikan was tempted to applaud with the rest of the people. Standing ovation maybe. But she didn't. However much she wanted to, she didn't. She wasn't supposed to. She would later feel guilty for applauding for the jerk he was, and she would bet her life that he would think he had impressed her if she had clapped for him. So she didn't, and remained her blank, bored face. But the sparkle in her eyes was clearly evident.

Natsume took a long glance at Mikan from the corner of his eye. He was not pleased at all by her expression. But, to his (clearly not shown on his face) delight, he saw how impressed she was in her eyes, which gleamed at his direction, even though she didn't show it. He smirked, winking at her. She blushed, all of the traces of the twinkle in her eyes disappeared. Oh well. At least it was there.

Luna looked at him and winked, she didn't want to be ignored and let that Sakura get all the attention from Natsume! She certainly wouldn't allow that to happen. Not in a million years. Natsume did not notice her though; he was too busy staring at Mikan in amusement as she turned away from him, blushing like a ripe tomato. Luna turned red too, but not of embarrassment, but of anger. And a little embarrassment too. Yeah, but mostly anger towards little miss Mikan Sakura.

Tsukishima coughed, and all attention was back on him. He nodded, taking some notes down on his clipboard, looking slightly impressed, "Hm, good, good. Sit down please." Natsume grunted, pushing his hair back and sitting down again, "Now, for the others..."

Mikan and the rest of the students didn't want to watch the others; those big buffoons had only joined the hip-hop group because they wanted popularity and to upshow Natsume and his posse. Yeah right. Some people dared to watch their exhibition, which included lots of flapping and ungraceful movements. And they all received nothing but silent, unheard mutterings of disapproval from Tsukishima.

Mikan pouted, impatiently waiting for the bell to ring. And she didn't even have her turn to show what she could do! Finally, the bell rang signaling lunch period. Mikan hastily hurried out of the room, Hotaru in hand. Natsume watched her flee, a smirk gracing his face.

* * *

"I can't believe him!" Mikan cried out, stamping her mashed potatoes into squished masses of potato with her fork in annoyance, imagining it to be Natsume's head. She was seated beside Hotaru, Anna, and Nonoko in the cafeteria. They were currently discussing what went on in their dancing class. Well, Mikan was mostly doing the conversing, the others just sat and listened quietly, occasionally speaking up at random intervals.

"And that's what happened," Mikan said, ending her story with a dramatic finishing touch. Anna and Nonoko sat wide-eyed, while Hotaru carried on munching on her crab brains.

Silence ensued for a while, and then came to blabbering.

"OMG! I can't believe it Mikan! You are so lucky!" Anna said, squealing.

"Really? How was Natsume's dancing Mikan? Did you really enjoy it?" Nonoko said, smirking, then her face turned solemn, "But you know, Mikan, you aren't supposed to be making contact with him! Or else all your avoiding will go to waste!"

Mikan paled beside her, shaking her head and groaning in exhaustion, "Yes, I know..."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luna and her cronies making their way to her table with a look that clearly said – "Mikan Sakura, you are so D-E-A-D."

Why, oh why, did she have to bring this on herself?

* * *

**Okay, this one wasn't as long as the last chapter (I think) but I promise I'll make it up to you. I hope. There's just so much going on! Due dates for assignments are fast pulling in this time, and I'm not nearly half done. Plus, there are PTCCs (Parent-Teacher-Child-Conference) coming up as well. But don't worry, our school's semester break is also coming soon, and I'll be able to update like crazy. I hope, yet again. Anyway, its pretty late here in my place, about 1:07. Wowza! I've never written up to this late before... Thanks to Patricia (PaCho de Nacho) for suggesting this chapter title! Well, review for Natsume please! I know you want to (wink.)**

**- Tearless Sonnet**


	6. On Your Toes, Prima Ballerina

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gakuen Alice. But when I'm in dreamland, that's another matter...

* * *

**Written by: **Tearless Sonnet

**My Music Camp**

_Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the spaces between the notes and curl my back to loneliness._

* * *

**Measure Six: On Your Toes, Prima Ballerina**

* * *

Mikan sighed wearily, turning to look at the approaching group with apprehension. Luna and her gang weaved through the crowd of people, basically shoving each person hard out of their way. They finally reached Mikan's table with smug, arrogant looks on their clearly plastic surgery altered faces. Mikan groaned quietly in exhaustion, fortunately out of the earshot of Luna and her followers.

"Sakura," Mikan looked up to see Luna in front of her, her face clearly not very pleased, "Let me get one thing straight in your crazed mind." Mikan winced, that insult had come slightly harsher than she had expected. But no big deal, the other girls in her old school had bullied her verbally too.

"Yes, Koizumi-san?" Mikan replied sweetly, a forced smile etched on her face. Luna looked as if she had been slapped.

"Well, for starters," Luna continued, her voice more high-pitched now in her frustration, "stay away from Natsume-kun! He doesn't deserve your filthy presence within an inch of his territory." Mikan's face remained sweet, nothing had changed.

"If you wish it, Koizumi-san," Mikan said, staring up at her in amusement. Luna's face grew immensely red, why wasn't she affected at all by her threats?

"W-well, good!" Luna stuttered, blushing in embarrassment, "Now, the next rule..."

"Another, Koizumi-san?" Mikan implied, looking at her and pouting. Luna's face grew redder, the anger overflowing her veins, "Because, you know, I'm _very _tame."

Shouts of laughter filled the cafeteria, every single human soul in the cafeteria had been listening in on their conversation with interest. Luna turned beet red, redder than before (if that was possible; she already looked like a clown's bright red nose,) her unpleasant expression showed her intense dislike for Mikan.

Mikan was smirking smugly; her expression was as if she was speaking clearly to Luna. And, she so happened to be saying, "Bring it on Koizumi."

* * *

Natsume closed his eyes, letting the cool breeze caress him. His raven-black hair swayed back and forth as he lazily relaxed on one of the branches of his territorial domain – the Sakura tree. He didn't feel like doing much at that time, even teasing Mikan! ...Nah, he'll still do that. But either than that, he made up his mind to be idle for that moment.

His ears perked up as shouts and yells were heard from the cafeteria. He lifted an eyebrow, annoyed by all the noise. He was trying to take a nap here! But either way, he was intrigued by all the commotion; his curiosity finally got the best of him and he jumped down the tree swiftly in a graceful manner.

He went to the source of the noise, which was the cafeteria. The shouts and yells of laughter grew louder, and he promptly pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the room effortlessly.

The cafeteria was crowded, almost all of its inhabitants were breaking into laughter; a huge crowd was surrounding one table. Natsume headed to the table, all the students knew who he was and made way for him.

He barely had to lift a finger, everyone made way for him and he was able to see what all the hubbub was about.

"Another Koizumi-san?" a familiar voice said, "Because, you know, I'm _very _tame," Snorts of laughter filled the air and Natsume chuckled. So it was a battle between his sweet thang and the old hag huh? Well he knew whom he was rooting for.

"S-Sakura..." Luna muttered darkly, fury overpowering her. Natsume's eyebrows furrowed, he knew Mikan wasn't very strong (she wasn't strong at all) and she wouldn't stand a chance against Koizumi. That was when he decided to interfere.

"Oi," he said, glaring at Luna, who, by this time, was whimpering in fright. Mikan stared, surprised at his appearance during the scene, "What's going on?"

Luna pouted before giving a malicious smirk, "Natsume-kun... Sakura-san here has been bullying me! She says I'm a... I'm a... cow!" She broke into phony, over dramatic sobs. Natsume rolled his eyes in exasperation and annoyance at her little show.

"And?" he said, glaring at her, no change in his expression. Luna's face turned surprised, then she whimpered again.

"B-But, Natsume-kun... She called me a cow?!" Luna said, grabbing a hold of his clothes, sobbing dramatically.

"So what? It's true," Natsume said, pushing her away from him harshly and giving her a disgusted look. Luna broke into fake sobs again, trying to gain pity from the crowd. The people, however, did not side with her. Only her cronies remained loyal.

"Koizumi-san, Koizumi-san!" They cried out, trying to comfort their leader. Luna glared at them, pushing them away.

"Get away from me you bimbos," Luna snarled, getting up with no assistance, dusting away imaginary dust on her amazingly short skirt.

Natsume rolled his eyes again, and grabbed Mikan, pulling her out of the cafeteria. The rest just stared after them in shock.

* * *

"Hyuuga!" Mikan cried, struggling her hardest to get out of the raven-haired boy's firm grip on her waist, "Let me go!"

Natsume paid no heed to the brunette's attempts to break free, but held on to her feeble form all the more tightly. They quickly made their way toward the Sakura tree; well, Natsume was dragging her there, Mikan just yelled and struggled.

"Shut up," Natsume said, lifting her bridal style and jumping onto a branch of the tree, "And you should be thanking me for rescuing you back there." Mikan remained quiet, not because of his demand, but of his unbelievable act.

Natsume set her down on the branch, but still held a tight grasp on her waist. Mikan frowned, sighing in defeat.

"So?" She looked up and saw Natsume looking at her expectantly.

She frowned at him, "So what?" He smirked, rolling his eyes.

"My thank you, duh." Mikan eyes widened, and then narrowed in suspicion.

"And why, pray tell, should I be thanking you?" She said, crossing her arms over her chest. Natsume smirked again, pushing his hair back in a smooth gesture. Mikan snorted.

"Because, " He stared at her with his crimson red eyes, "I saved you back there. And if I hadn't, that hag would've beaten you to a pulp."

"_Excuse me_?" Mikan replied angrily, "I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" Natsume grinned slyly.

"_Right_, sure." He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "If I wasn't there to save your arse, you would've been dead by now," She turned away from him, pouting childishly. Surprisingly, they lapsed into a comfortable silence. Mikan couldn't stand not talking for a few minutes, and looked up to see Natsume staring at her intently. She tilted her head in confusion.

"What?" She said, "Is there something on my face?" She touched her face, looking at Natsume in confusion. He smirked.

"Nothing," He said, still smirking as he swept a strand of hair from her face. Mikan blushed, but remained still as he brushed it away. He held her face for a while, stroking her cheek gently. Mikan turned even redder, and Natsume smirked at the heat radiating from her face. He pulled away from her, and she was able to breath again.

"What was that for?!" Mikan exclaimed, glaring at him in annoyance, though that deep tint of red still remained on her cheeks. Natsume shrugged.

"Something," he replied, winking at her. Mikan gasped, and jumped down the tree.

_The nerve! _She thought, her face scrunched up in anger, striding away in a hurry from the Sakura tree. Natsume leaned back into the tree, smirking as he watched the pretty brunette huff away angrily.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by quickly for Mikan. Nothing but boring classes and some interesting ones. She sighed, reaching for her heavy knapsack as the last bell of the day rang. She was, unfortunately, loaded with homework. Weren't the teachers supposed to go easy on them on the first day of camp? Apparently not.

She entered the deserted hall last, taking her time to get back to her dorm. That was, until, she remembered who her roommate was. She grew frantic, making her way to her dorm as swiftly as she could go. She stomped all the way up the stairs, then realizing she could have taken the elevator. Muttering unheard cusses, she decided to continue up the staircase. Why couldn't she have worn flats that day?

Finally, after what seemed like a torturous hike of nearly falling down the stairs and the unbelievable pressure of keeping balanced, she made it to the third floor (barely) alive.

Mikan huffed in and out, leaning against the wall for a moment to catch her breath. She resumed her walk, which wasn't as bad now as it was in the deserted, _flat_, wide hall. Finally reaching the door labeled with the numbers 324. She opened the door hesitantly, hoping Natsume wouldn't notice her, if he was here, that is.

She surveyed the vacant living room with growing relief, hoping he wasn't in yet. But he was.

A dark shadow swept across the room, towering above her. She froze in fright, slowly looking upward. Her hazel eyes soon met with flaming crimson ones.

Natsume stood there, dripping wet in only his towel, which was draped around his waist. He smirked, staring at her. Mikan's eyes grew wide in disbelief. She couldn't help but let her eyes roam over his delicious body. Natsume's smirk grew more pronounced as he realized her surveillance over him.

He had just finished his shower when Mikan had stumbled along. Hearing the door open and small, light footsteps enter the room; he assumed it was Mikan back late. And he was always right.

Mikan couldn't stop ogling at him; he was just too good to pass. His body was in perfect form, with great-looking, six-pack abs and firm muscles. His wet hair dripped, strands of raven-black hair swept across his face, sometimes in the way of his gleaming eyes, which smoldered in spite of his dark hair, making him look more mysterious.

Mikan gulped. _Wow... _she thought. She had expected him to have a body like... this, but it was still something to see it up close.

"Like the view?" A deep, husky voice spoke, lifting her out of her reverie. Mikan gasped, running as quickly as she could, into her room. Natsume chuckled mischievously, running his hand through his damp hair, "Tch. That idiot," With that, he slid down the towel, revealing... a pair of shorts.

* * *

Mikan was too busy hyperventilating, calming herself down after that little... incident, to realize the trick Natsume had played on her. Bolting her door shut, she took her soft white pillow and slammed it on her face.

She screamed, her voice muffled by the pillow. On the other side of the door, Natsume stood there, still topless, chuckling at her... bizarre ways to calm herself down. He certainly did not expect screaming into a pillow as a form of soothing oneself.

The night had passed smoothly; Mikan had fallen asleep after relenting her shock. Natsume, on the other hand, fell asleep soundly, not a care in the world.

The morning? Not as good. Not as good for one brunette though. Mikan woke up with huge, purple, panda-eye bags. After some make-up, though, it seemed as if they were never there in the first place.

Stalking into the kitchen quietly, suspecting Natsume to still be asleep, she opened the refrigerator door, hoping for some breakfast.

Unfortunately, the shelves and shelves she had stocked with food were now bare, empty. Mikan gaped at her empty mass of nothing, finally noticing the post-it note on the door of the refrigerator.

Written on the post-it note were the letters: I O U

* * *

Mikan grumbled on her way to singing class as she muttered a colorful string of curses directed at one Hyuuga boy. She was nearly there, just one last set of stairs... until her cell phone rang.

_I'm in love; it's a beautiful day_

_I'm in love; it's a beautiful way_

_I don't care what the weatherman says; it's a beautiful day_

"Hello?" She said darkly, still in a bad mood. The song hadn't cheered her up one bit, despite its jovial lyrics. Anna's voice rang through the phone and into the staircase she was currently climbing.

"Mikan-chan?" She said, clearly concerned with her friend's tone of voice, "Are you okay?"

Mikan sighed, "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." Anna didn't sound too convinced, but she went along with it.

"Ah, okay then. I just called to tell you that singing is cancelled. Nonoko and I have advanced country music, while you have dancing with Hotaru-chan instead," Mikan was silent. Anna grew worried.

"Mikan-chan?" She said, no answer was heard, "If you're really alright...um... That's all, bye then," A repeating ringing noise was heard, signaling that Anna had hung up. Mikan closed her phone silently, fuming. This was the last straw.

"That...?!" Mikan released her anger with another, longer, colorful string of words. She blamed it all on Natsume that she had a bad start of the day. Ever since what happened yesterday, she hasn't been able to concentrate.

Muttering crossly, she headed toward the dance studio, her mood hadn't lifted at all. The dance studio hadn't changed; she hadn't expected it to. She was in a foul mood, everybody in the room could sense it. Mikan slowly approached Hotaru, who was sitting in the same place they had been in their last session. Hotaru, obviously noticing her expression and dark aura, raised an eyebrow, but nonetheless kept her usual stoic face.

Mikan sat down beside her, not saying a word, her mouth a thin line. Hotaru noticed how quiet she was, and didn't say anything, but looked to the front, awaiting the arrival of their dance instructor.

Right after Mikan had settled down beside Hotaru, the door swung open, and in stepped Kenta Tsukishima, his hair tied back into the usual ponytail at the back of his nape. He swept into the room with refined elegance, surveying the crowd with that same, piercing, scrutinizing gaze. Mikan didn't feel as uncomfortable this time; she was in too much of a foul mood to be nervous.

"Same as last time; groups," Kenta said, his smooth voice vibrated through the room, and students slowly stood up to join their group mates. The door banged open again, yet more roughly; like it had been forced open rather then opened. Natsume, Koko, Ruka, and Yuu entered the room. Girls cooed and boys watched them in admiration and envy.

Mikan caught Natsume's eye and she glared at him, but she only received an amused smirk in return. She turned her head the other way, with a "hmph!"

Annoyed now, Mikan resumed in observing her group mates. Most of them were snobby, narcissistic brats. The kind that starved to gain their slim body figures. They moved without much elegance, some just walked with duck feet. Unfortunately, Luna was included in the group. Mikan felt like groaning. Why didn't she notice her the last time? Well, to her utter delight, Luna seemed to be ignoring her after that little incident concerning Natsume. But she didn't stop her yearning to upshow Mikan. A few of the girls seemed fine, but a tap on her shoulder lifted her from her people watching.

Mikan turned to see a pretty raven-haired girl with striking crimson eyes smiling at her. She seemed familiar...

"Hi!" the girl said, grinning at Mikan. Mikan smiled shyly, "My name's Aoi, what's yours?"

Mikan grinned back, more happily this time. This girl seemed nice, "It's Mikan. Mikan Sakura," Aoi smiled, putting out her hand. Mikan took it, and they shook hands in greeting.

"How long have you been studying ballet?" Aoi asked, staring at the brunette. Mikan blushed sheepishly.

"Um... I started once in the summer," Mikan said, "About... 7 years ago," She turned to look at Aoi, blushing in embarrassment. Aoi was silent for a moment, then she gave a soft, tinkling laugh.

"Oh, that was it then? That was the reason you were so shy? It doesn't matter, I like you. You're really nice," Aoi said, traces of laughter shown in her eyes. Mikan's mouth was slightly parted, and then she grinned.

"Yeah, it's a pleasure to meet you, Aoi-chan," She said, smiling. Aoi smirked, it seemed all too familiar...

"Charmed, " She said in a graceful manner, curtsying in front of her, bowing low. Mikan laughed, a silvery, soft, tinkling laugh.

Mikan noticed Aoi staring at her, silent. Mikan tilted her head to one side. Why were people always doing that? "Is anything wrong?" Mikan said. Aoi shook her head slowly.

"Nothing, nothing. It's just that..." Aoi said, muttering the last bit. Mikan urged her to finish her sentence, "Your laugh is so beautiful!" Aoi said, her eyes gleaming as she looked at Mikan in admiration. Mikan smiled nervously, giggling. She was so much like the 'twins.'

"Ballet. Your turn," Tsukishima said, sweeping over to Mikan and their group. Mikan gulped nervously; she wasn't prepared for this.

Many girls had wanted to go first, hoping to impress Natsume. Their dances weren't beautiful at all. Not at all elegant or the least graceful. Mikan was the last to perform. After watching Aoi play her part, she felt all the more nervous.

Breathing in and out, she soothed herself down. Walking toward the huge CD shelves, she scanned the whole selection. Spotting a familiar piece, she gently slid it out and placed the CD in the player. She could feel Natsume's gaze on her, and she bit her lip. She wished she had her pillow right now.

* * *

_Play the Trepak by Tchaikovscy_

* * *

The class watched in silence as the music played. Natsume gazed at the brunette attentively, in interest. He had always thought ballet was some gay dance meant for losers. Here, he was utterly served.

Mikan moved with a grace no one could mistake, and she made ballet look beautiful. Her moves looked complicated and incredibly difficult. They were. And she was only _nine_ when she learned all this?

The music came to an end, and Mikan stopped at an elegant position. Silence lapsed for a while, and clapping was heard. Tsukishima coughed, gaining the attention of the young people, the same way he had gotten their attention when Natsume and his gang danced.

"Good. Very good," He said quietly, nodding in approval. Mikan beamed in relief, sighing as she plopped down beside Hotaru. Aoi approached her.

"I thought you said you stopped ballet 9 years ago?" Aoi said, beaming nonetheless at Mikan. Mikan smiled sheepishly, shrugging her small shoulders.

"I did. I guess I'm taking it up again," Mikan said, giggling, "Oh, Aoi-chan. This is Hotaru Imai. My best friend," Aoi smiled at Hotaru. Hotaru nodded at her.

"Nice to meet you, Imai-san," Aoi said, sitting down beside the two girls. Hotaru held out her hand knowingly.

"Hotaru," she said, indicating what she would rather be called, "It's a pleasure, Aoi Hyuuga,"

* * *

Mikan gaped at the two girls. Aoi _Hyuuga_?! How many relatives did Natsume have?!

"H-Hyuuga?" Mikan stuttered, trying to keep her composure. Aoi nodded, while Hotaru smirked in satisfaction.

"Yes, you've probably heard of my cocky brother, Natsume," Aoi said, rolling her eyes at the mention of her sibling. Mikan nodded without a word.

"No offense, but he's such an arrogant, idiot, jerk-face!" Mikan said, pouting childishly. Aoi laughed, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, I totally understand," She said, chortling, as she slapped her hand against her thigh in mirth. Mikan laughed as well, and Hotaru couldn't suppress a small grin. Mikan's giggles were stopped abruptly, as she felt the same, familiar glare. Koizumi again. Mikan sighed, deciding to confront Luna for once.

Luna headed toward her, her 'friends' in tow, "Look, who do you think you – " Mikan shushed her immediately.

"Listen, Koizumi," She said menacingly, all traces of the politeness she had shown to the girl before were gone, her fierce glare out showing Luna's by far, "Can't you just shut up and leave me alone? 'Cause of you don't, I'd be ever so glad to _make_ you," Luna was speechless, she backed away from Mikan, with the rest of her posse following her. Luna seemed all the more angry, shoving other people for no reason at all.

Mikan made her way back to Hotaru and Aoi, grinning tiredly, showing them a peace sign. She beamed in triumph. Aoi laughed, raising her hand for a high-five. Mikan slapped her hand, sitting down beside them once more.

"You go girl!" Aoi said, grinning as she held her stomach, "I think I laughed too hard, my stomach hurts like hell." Mikan laughed her silvery, soft laugh.

"Well, she should have seen it coming," Mikan said, grinning back at Aoi. Hotaru smirked, holding a video camera.

"I got the whole thing. This will gain good profit," she said, dollar signs flashing in her amethyst eyes. Mikan smiled at Hotaru nervously.

The resounding school bell rang, and Mikan, Hotaru, and their latest addition, Aoi, headed toward the cafeteria. Spotting the twins seated at their usual table, they invited Aoi to sit with them.

"Sure," Aoi said, following them, "I usually sit by myself most of the time. Natsume's fangirls made sure I was anti-social," Mikan frowned; she didn't like the way Natsume treated his sister. Did he know she was being bullied?

"Does he know you're being bullied?" Hotaru said, voicing her thoughts. Aoi nodded, sighing. They reached their table, Mikan's fists clenched. Anna and Nonoko sat down, chatting animatedly. They noticed Hotaru, Mikan, and a stranger and smiled.

"Hey, girlies!" Mikan said, her smile slightly forced. Hotaru didn't say anything, she remained devoid of any expression, but sat down, munching on a plate of crab brains. Where did that come from? Mikan sighed, motioning for Aoi to sit down, and she seated herself as well, "This is Aoi Hyuuga, she'll be part of us from now on," She smiled slightly at this. Anna and Nonoko stared at her in shock.

"Aoi, as in Aoi _Hyuuga_?!" They said simultaneously, looking at Aoi, who fidgeted with her skirt nervously. Mikan rolled her eyes.

"Yes, girls, Aoi Hyuuga," She said, picking up her cheese sandwich and taking a dainty bite of it, "What's the problem?" The twins giggled, smiling brightly at Aoi.

"We're sorry for... that bad first impression. We're Anna Umenomiya and Nonoko Ogasawara. It's nice to meet you!" Aoi smiled at them tentatively, more happier now that the subject drifted off of her surname. Mikan smiled in a satisfactory manner. All was resolved, for now. Then, she had a bright idea.

"Hey girlies," Mikan said, thinking as she took another bite of her sandwich and a sip from the soda she had, "I have an idea,"

All of them turned to her, interested. Mikan continued more slowly, "What do you think of a sleepover at my place?" The others grinned happily, agreeing instantly.

But Nonoko remembered a crucial detail, "But, Mikan, doesn't Natsume stay in the same dorm?" Aoi's mouth dropped.

"You're my brother's roommate?" She said, shocked, "You're the girl he's after!" Mikan grimaced.

"I know, unfortunately for me," She said, frowning as she sighed, leaning back into her chair. Aoi looked worried.

"Mikan-chan, you mustn't, and I repeat, you _mustn't_ fall in love with my brother. He'll use you up for one day and dump you the next!" Mikan sighed again.

"I know, I know, Aoi," she said, rubbing her forehead in exhaustion, "Don't worry. I won't fall in love with that arrogant jerk. I swear," Aoi nodded, though still unconvinced.

"But, Mikan-chan," Anna said, her eyebrows creasing, "How'll you get Natsume out of the dorm?"

Mikan smirked maliciously, "Oh, I will. Just get ready for the sleepover, girls. I'll get that Hyuuga out of our dorm, no problem."

* * *

**PHEW! Done, finally! Wanting to see what happens, no? I admit I was being a bit naughty there. Not that much, I'm not the perverted type, so it was hard for me, but I wanted to add some spice to the story. Are you glad? I hope so. I worked my arse off to get you this chapter! **

**This is random, but I'm obsessing over 3 songs. **

**1. Disturbia by Rihanna**

**2. Shake It by Metro Station**

**3. Too Many Walls by Ashley Tisdale**

**Expect those songs to be in the next chapter (or at least some of it) I'll try to update on my other fan-fiction too. By the way, semester break is fast approaching... actually, it's the day after tomorrow! We only have one week off though. Don't worry, I'll make a major update. **

**And I finally got my blog working! YAY! But I've still got problems with the template... **

**So please, mind helping me? Check out my blog at with this here: hitandrunblog (insert the .blogspot and the .com after) **

**Drop in a comment or two, please! **

**XOXO --**

_Tearless Sonnet_


	7. Sleepover Crasher

**Disclaimer: **All claims regarding me holding possession of Gakuen Alice are illegal. All rights belonging to Tachibana Higuchi.

* * *

**Written by: **Tearless Sonnet

**My Music Camp**

_Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the spaces between the notes and curl my back to loneliness._

* * *

**Measure Seven: Sleepover Crasher**

* * *

"So, basically, you're kicking me out?"

Mikan nodded, smirking in defiance. Natsume didn't look fazed at all, more or less, a pointedly look was all he gave out.

"And what's in it for me?" Mikan frowned at this, apparently thinking. Truth is, she really hadn't thought of anything that she could use to get him out. Hopeless girl.

"What do you want?" she said, frowning all the more as Natsume's oh-so-predictable smirk surfaced onto his features, "...besides me." He frowned at this, evidently disappointed.

They were both currently seated in the living room, discussing Mikan's... ahem, suggestion. More like demand.

"You," he replied firmly. He wasn't going to back down without a fight. Mikan frowned, shaking her head. That was the one thing he couldn't get. Besides a million yen. But he was rich right? He didn't need money.

"No way," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Natsume growled in frustration, leaning back into his seat.

"Then no deal," he said, defiance clearly shown, though Mikan remained as stubborn as she was.

"But – " She got up as Natsume strode towards the door. He looked back at her with an amused smirk on his face. Like he was happy she didn't get what she wanted. Sadist.

The door banged shut with one swish of his arm, "No you – no deal." Oh well. Then she'd just have to resort to taking desperate measures, and it would take a huge bite of Natsume's reputation, to his misery and to her delight.

* * *

"Hotaru?" The raven-haired lass's room was empty, not a single soul in the room. Mikan poked her head out behind the door, hesitantly peeking, searching for her friend. Apparently, she wasn't doing too well.

Carefully making her way into the room, she watched out for unexpected surprises, cautious when it came to Hotaru.

"Hotaru-chan?" She called, searching the room as if her friend could be hiding somewhere. A loud array of different sounds sounded into the hollow room, bouncing off the walls – clicking, whirring, banging, pounding, screwing, twisting.

"Hotaru-chan?" she called again, afraid of the unfamiliar noises. Then, it struck her as an unfamiliar smirk made its way onto her face, "Hotaru-chan, I need help with my piggy bank." She came, in less than a second, no less.

Mikan grinned, "Well, actually, no piggy bank in sight," The girl's murderous glare was frightening and Mikan regretted tricking her, "But I do need something. I'll pay for it," Hotaru's usual calm demeanor was back in place, and Mikan inwardly sighed in relief.

"What?" Hotaru said nonchalantly, crossing her arms over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently. Mikan grinned maliciously.

"Blackmail evidence."

* * *

The sun was shining brightly the next day, Mikan left the window of her room open. The nice weather was just too good to leave out on.

Classes were suspended for the day, due to a reason unknown. Wait... there was something she was forgetting... Her eyes widened as she remembered.

Rushing towards the main building as quickly as she could, Mikan entered the huge hallway crowded with people. Her eyes searched for the administrative office, and she found it. Brushing her way past students, she reached the mahogany front door with the gold plate entitled "Administration Office Headquarters." Opening it with no hesitation, she walked in.

The room looked the same as ever, and she walked up to the long counter. Smiling at the receptionist, she asked for the form for the contest.

The receptionist fixed her glasses that were perched on her nose and coughed, "Ahem, right, the form..." She pulled out a drawer in her desk, ruffling through the masses of papers. They were all messy, and it was hard to believe that such a neat looking woman could be so unorganized.

Finally, the receptionist lifted a pile of forms, took one, and handed it to the brunette, who resisted the urge to giggle. The receptionist's carefully gelled bun on the top of her head had a few strands of gray hair loose and her spectacles were hanging on her rather hooked nose, it was hard not to burst out laughing at the sight.

"Fill out the information on the form and slip it into that box over there," she gestured toward the huge white box standing on the edge of the counter. It looked filled to the brim; a few forms were sticking out of the piggy-bank-gap shaped slit, "The competition will be held in a week. You will be informed of the theme by one of the teachers, so be prepared."

Mikan nodded and settled down on one of the chairs. Taking the pen on the counter, she filled up the form and slid it through the gap in the box.

She sighed in relief; at least it was over with.

She turned to the door, but a voice halted her on the way.

"Good luck..." She turned to see the receptionist staring at her with a warm smile on her face. Her eyes didn't look very intimidating anymore. Mikan smiled back.

"Thank you."

* * *

Natsume sighed, happily lounging on his Sakura tree. He closed his eyes, relaxing. But his peace was disturbed, unfortunately for him. Hearing a rustle in the bushes below him, he jumped down from the branch and placed himself in front of the little intruder.

"Ah! Hyuuga-kun!" To his utmost surprise, Sakura Mikan sat, crouched in the bushes. What the hell? And what was with the pleasant atmosphere now? Somehow, this didn't feel right.

But either way, if she was finally falling for him, he didn't mind.

"So, sweet thang, what's up?" He asked, arching an eyebrow at her strange behavior. Mikan giggled awkwardly.

"Airplanes." Natsume rolled his eyes.

"Lame comeback," he replied, drawling out his words with a nonchalant expression.

"Anyway, I've got a proposal for you." She said, grinning as she suddenly stood up. Natsume backed away a few inches from her in surprise. She smirked knowingly. Wait, something was wrong here. Very wrong.

Deciding to keep the conversation light, he joked around, "What? You want to get married so fast, sweetie?" He taunted her, smirking. The pleasant aura quickly vanished.

Mikan's composure faltered, steam coming out of her ears. Natsume smirked. This was the 'sweet thang' he knew. But then, the brunette fixed her expression, forcing an odd smile on her face. It looked pained.

Natsume frowned. Seriously, something wasn't right. He felt something terrible was going to happen to him that day. He shrugged it off for now.

"Ne, Hyuuga-kun?" Mikan smiled sweetly. _Too_ sweetly.

Natsume smirked, "Yes, _wifey_?" he said, attempting to aggravate her further. He loved to see that adorable expression on her face – the sadist.

Mikan flinched, but did not falter in her composure, "Well, _hubby_, I have something for you."

Natsume grinned. If _this_ was the reward in upsetting and teasing her, he'd gladly do it everyday, "Then bring it on, and maybe we can go somewhere... _private_ later on." He smirked knowingly while Mikan's face turned green and red at the same time. Natsume smirked again – Christmas colors.

"Hm... I don't think so. Let's you and I not try and take it any further, all right?" Her face was scrunched up.

"Why must that be so? After all, 'further' _is_ my middle name, next to 'sexy' and 'hot' of course." Mikan couldn't take it anymore. Her face was so red. She pulled out a folder from her bag.

"That, hubby, is something I cannot agree with," she replied fiercely and glared at the boy. Natsume smirked, "Anyway, I have something to show you now."

She opened the folder consisting of... Natsume. Every single picture was of him. Natsume's eyes widened considerably at it. For not only was every picture of him, but of him in... embarrassing positions. There was one of him cuddled up to a teddy bear in bunny pajamas and another of him in a fairy princess costume. He nearly peed in his pants.

"I-I've never done that..." He mumbled, startled. Mikan grinned evilly. Oh how much she loved Hotaru Imai.

"Oh, I know you haven't." This was just too good.

"Then... how...?"

"The powers of Photoshop, darling Natsu-chan, can change everything."

"People won't believe that. I've never done anything of the sort." He said, glaring at the girl in question.

"Yes, I know you haven't... but they don't." She smirked maliciously. Natsume frowned. What happened to the sweet, innocent angel he knew and loved?

"What do you want?" He replied in a business-toned manner. Mikan crossed her arms over her chest in victory.

"You know what I want."

He smirked, "Yeah, I do know. Me." Mikan glowered at him.

"No, in fact, I do _not_ want you. What I _do_ want is for you to get the hell out of our dorm tonight. For the sleepover, you know," Mikan grinned, finally reaching her point. Natsume sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"All right. Fine, fine. I'll get out of your way..." He knew he was going to regret this, but he wasn't going to tarnish his reputation for anything.

* * *

"Hey, girls!" Mikan called out to her friends, seated in the cafeteria. They raised an eyebrow at her uplifted expression. Scratch that, she wasn't uplifted, she was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"I have great news!" Mikan announced, bouncing into the seat beside Hotaru. She flashed a knowing smile. Hotaru smirked.

"It worked, then?" the raven-haired lass stated, matter-of-factly.

"Yup! It sure did!" Mikan cried ecstatically, throwing a peace sign towards her comrades. Anna and Nonoko exchanged confused glances.

"Huh? Why don't you let us in on the secret?" They said in harmony. Mikan nodded, and proceeded to tell them about it.

"Bad, bad girl, Mi-chan!" Anna exclaimed, doubling over in laughter like Nonoko.

Mikan smiled gleefully, showing them the pictures. Their laughter rang through the cafeteria, attracting the attention of love-struck, hormone-crazed teenage boys. Oh, the horror.

"So, we're up for the sleepover?" Nonoko asked.

"Who said we weren't?" Mikan said, giggling, "Meet me at my dorm around seven, 'kay?"

* * *

Bustling from here and there, our little brunette checked her supplies for the sleepover.

"Food... unchecked..." She bit her lip at that, making a note to herself to buy the groceries for the sleepover right after she was done with the checklist. After all, popcorn, chips, soda, cookies, and cake were a _must._ But that wasn't really food fit for dinner... Never mind, they'd order Chinese take-out. And pizza, of course. She couldn't forget pizza.

"Music... unchecked..." She frowned. Music? Where were all her CDs? Right, she had left most of them back home. After all, she wasn't expecting a sleepover to be part of the plan. Heck, she didn't expect having much friends at all!

"DVDs... unchecked..." Gosh, her wallet was going to be a lot less heavier after this.

"...Pillows?" She thought about it a while, they absolutely _had_ to have perfect pillow material for their pillow fight. Low-class pillows wouldn't do at all, " Unchecked..."

"Is that all?" she said to herself, wondering what else she needed. ...Nah, there must be nothing else.

She put on her coat and grabbed her wallet. Time to get into the battle field.

Oh, how Sakura Mikan loathed grocery shopping.

Long lines, unhelpful shopping carts that nearly broke down once you placed a single, none-too heavy bag in it, and pacing from aisle to aisle searching for damn eggs.

That is, if you were shopping in Igor's.

Mikan frowned apprehensively as she eyed the large, wooden sign hanging by the entrance of the grocery.

_Igor's, since 1901,_ it read. She smirked wryly. _Yeah, this place must have been a dump, considering it lived from all the way back in 1901._

Why she hadn't sued the place was a mystery all in itself. But this was the closest place to the camp, and although it was a junkshop all in the means of happening, it was the only place she could get decent, cheap food. Thank Heavens the food wasn't spoiled... or was it? She wouldn't think any further than that.

"Is that all?" She murmured to herself, checking the mounds of food in the cart, which seemed close to breaking down. She wheeled the cart (which refused to move as easily as it should have back in 1901) towards the long counter. The line wasn't very long that day, one plus side in Mikan's perspective. There was only one person there.

In too much of a hurry, Mikan tapped her foot impatiently behind a fat woman unloading her cart with the speed of a turtle. Finally, after it seemed like decades, the woman paid the bill and stalked off somewhere, leaving the counter free.

Mikan expertly unloaded her own cart with quick and agile hands, maneuvering the packs of canned and boxed goods on the moving counter, which was moving all too slowly for her liking. After heaving a large bag of chips (Doritos, over-sized) onto the counter with a groan from the cart, she paid and left in a hurry.

The mall was as great a place it should be, considering the amounts of shops there. And then, that was when Mikan discovered the _other_ grocery store, which, she had to say, could kick _Igor's_ arse without a sweat. She undeniably regretted the bad decision, but what could she do? Waste more money buying the same products just because of the decency of the store?

Well, the grocery in the mall had high-tech opening doors that swiveled open once a human's body heat came into 5 feet contact with it, fast pacing lines, and smelled like lavender, but that shouldn't make a difference. Generally, it shouldn't, but for Mikan, it made a hell lot of a difference.

Cursing under her breath at the decision to shop at the soon-to-be junkshop, she made her way to a random music store.

She browsed through the selections with a frown on her face, and no shop employee dared to approach her with that intimidating "I-hate-the-world" aura.

Unfortunately, Mikan loved too many bands and too many singers. Finally settling for CDs of Paramore, Tokio Hotel, Boys Like Girls, Cold Play, Linkin Park, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Green Day, and others, she bought them with a flourish. She winced, noticing the immensely reduced weight of her wallet. Just enough for a few more DVDs, and that was all. Hopefully, the temptation wouldn't be so... tempting.

That same CD shop also sold DVDs, so she took a few of her favorites (that was all her budget had allowed) and made her way out.

She searched for a place where they sold pillows and the sort, and finally found one. She entered, a bell hanging on the door made a tinkling sound when she swung it open.

It was like Heaven for a sleep-only bum. Everywhere you looked, mountains and mountains of soft white pillows were mounted on top of each other, stacked up carefully, one by one.

Mikan's mouth was left wide open, but she shut it before any bugs could fly in. She'd experienced it before, and she didn't want it to happen again.

She picked up a pillow, hugging it to her chest. It felt good, but it wasn't the right one. She placed it back and started her search. She checked each and every pillow, but she hadn't felt that spark. What spark, you ask? Simply the spark that she was certain she would feel when she found the right one. She would know.

She searched and searched, but to no avail. She stepped ahead, and, to her utmost surprise (which wasn't a very big surprise to those who know her well) she stumbled on a huge pillow in her way. She fell, and landed, butt-first on a soft pillow. And then she felt it. The spark.

Mikan grinned, hugging the soft pillow. It was perfect, purely perfect.

* * *

Mikan bustled out the mall, taking the bus back to the camp. She grinned, making plans already. First they'd...

_Shake, Shake_

_Shake, Shake_

_Shake it_

She stayed still a while. The ringing kept on, and she grew annoyed. When was the owner going to pick up his or her phone? And then, she realized she had only changed her ring tone that morning. Embarrassed by the frustrated glances her way, she picked up her phone.

"Hello?" It was Anna, "Oh, hey!" She fidgeted, playing with the cuff of her sleeve.

"Hm?" Her face was abruptly startled, "Yeah, I know, sorry. I'll be there. Its not that late..." She checked her watch, "Oh, for Heaven's sake, Anna! Its 5:38!"

Mikan laughed, nodding, "Yeah, yeah. Its fine. Now, hopefully, you don't be late. I've got a lot of stuff prepared."

With a snap, she shut her phone and crossed her legs, biting her bottom lip. She had always done that when she was worried. What she was worried about, even she didn't know. She stared up at the dark, grey clouds and felt a sickening feeling at the bottom of her stomach. She sighed. Stupid ominous clouds, now she had an ache in her stomach because of them.

* * *

Natsume smirked. He'd get back at the girl.

Stealthily creeping into the dorm, he went into Mikan's room quietly. Sure that the coast was clear; he searched for the photos. _If I was an idiot, where would I hide blackmail evidence? _He thought to himself. _Of course, I was never an idiot, so how would I know?_

He smirked again, finding the whole stack under her pillow. He pulled them out, slipping them into his pocket to be disposed of. In terms of burning.

Hell yeah, the idiot was going to get a mouth full of pay back.

* * *

Mikan danced across the living room. Things were going perfectly – just as planned. Everything she needed was here and in place.

She checked her watch. 6:59. They'd be coming along now. Just a few more seconds, she checked in her digital watch. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

KNOCK KNOCK

Mikan rushed to open the door, grinning marvelously at the four girls outside, already dressed in their PJs. She beckoned them in, feeling giddy, all signs of something bad happening had evaporated.

"Hey, you guys!" Mikan said, "I can't wait!" Hotaru rolled her eyes while Anna and Nonoko smiled. Aoi laughed, looking all over the place.

"Wow, Mikan-chan!" She said, "Your dorm is so nice! That Natsume, he never lets me in here..." she laughed bitterly.

"Let's get started, shall we?" she said, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she led them into the living room. Pillows were spread everywhere and food and snacks lay scattered around. The huge flat-screen TV stood a few feet away, DVDs placed on top, ready to be watched. The phone was nearby, prepared for prank phone calls and ordering for take-out.

Anna and Nonoko held each other's hands, their eyes glittered, "It's a sleepover paradise!" Mikan laughed. They were so funny.

Hotaru smirked, eyeing the expensive furniture, "Hyuuga has good taste." Mikan shrugged, flouncing on the sofa. The rest of the girls followed.

"What do you want to start with?" Mikan asked. Hotaru had a strange gleam in her eyes.

"Food." Was the only thing uttered from her perfectly shaped mouth. Mikan laughed. Same old Hotaru. She passed around chips and soda and everybody ate.

Hotaru sat, munching on crab-flavored chips silently. Anna, Aoi, and Nonoko sat, giggling and conversing with Mikan.

"Let's watch a movie!" Mikan cried out, her fist pumping in the air. The rest agreed and they watched "A Walk to Remember."

Mikan sniffled as she reached for a pack of tissues, "T-That was so sad... that she died a-and l-left him... I-I don't e-ever w-want t-to have c-cancer..." Hotaru did not show any emotion at all, but Aoi, Anna, Nonoko, and Mikan were bawling their eyes out.

"Sheesh... It's just a movie. Mandy Moore is alive and kicking. Shut the hell up." Hotaru drawled out, with a roll of her eyes.

Mikan sniffed again, hiccoughing, "I-I know... but its so friggin' sad!" she cried out, sobbing harder into the poor piece of tissue. Anna and Nonoko patted her on the back as they cried as well. Aoi sniffed, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

Hotaru sighed, trying to drown out the sound of their sobs by placing her hands over her ears. The dreary sobs continued for a few more minutes.

"Let's stop all the water works, now, shall we?" Mikan said, smiling weakly. She stood up, walking towards the stereo, "What do you want to listen to first?" She asked the girls.

"Ooh! Paramore sounds good! Have you heard one of their latest songs?" Anna asked, grinning.

"Decode?" Mikan asked, "Is it that one?" Anna nodded ecstatically.

"I love that song!" Anna cried out, "Play it! Play it!" Mikan laughed again, placing the CD in the stereo. She switched to the track and let it play.

* * *

Play Decode by Paramore

* * *

Soon, the girls were up and dancing, swaying their bodies to the music. Well, with the exception of Hotaru, who stood nearby recording everything with a smirk on her face.

"How did we get here? When I used to know you so well. But how did we get here? I think I know..." Mikan sang in perfect harmony with the music. The girls all laughed and sang along.

The song finally came to an end and Mikan sighed. The girls fell back onto the sofa with a bounce.

"Phew... That was fun." Nonoko said, laughing. The others agreed.

"Here, I have another song in mind..." Mikan said, getting up and inserting another disk into the stereo.

* * *

Play Disturbia by Rihanna

* * *

The girls were up and at it again, laughing and dancing and twirling around. Suddenly, the lights turned off with a flourish and the music stopped. Aoi, Mikan, Nonoko, and Anna screamed in fright, huddling together in a bundle on the ground. Hotaru grimaced; she didn't like this. Something was going on.

The bellowing wind outside grew louder. Mikan saw the shadows of the trees outside, which were frightening in the dark. They looked like long hands trying to grab her. She screamed again.

Hotaru placed a hand on her mouth, "Shut up, idiot. It's probably a black-out" She said, annoyed, "It's just the dark and the shadows of the trees outside. Shut up before I get a migraine." Mikan obediently shushed, though she was shivering from head to toe.

To their horror, the door opened slowly with a creak. Aoi, Mikan, Nonoko, Anna, and also, to their surprise, Hotaru screamed at the top of their lungs.

Four tall shadows stood at the entrance of the doorway. They looked scary amidst the dark background. The girls screamed and one shadow bounded across the room swiftly in less than a second.

The shadow loomed from the dark and before she knew it, Mikan was thrown back, the shadow of the figure on top of her. She instantly knew who was the cause of all this.

Just as quickly as it had been switched off, the lights were turned back on in a snap; the room was showered with the white blinding light from the fluorescent light bulbs above.

Mikan blinked a few times, shielding her eyes with her hand, trying to readjust to the sudden outcome of light. She gazed upward – right into the eyes of the predator, ahem, _Natsume._

With a bloodcurdling scream, she sprawled and struggled, trying to release his tight, vicious grip on her arms, pinned to the floor.

"Let go of me you...!?" she screamed, lashing out a long string of colorful vocabulary at the boy.

"Hunk?" Natsume said, smirking. Ah, revenge was sweet.

"What the friggin' hell do you think you're doing here, you _moron?!_ Didn't I tell you to keep the hell away from here?! Get stinking arms off of me or I'll kick your arse till it bleeds!" Mikan growled furiously, muttering more profanities under her breath.

Natsume raised an eyebrow, where did little miss goody two shoes go? He stuck out his tongue at her, "No can do, princess." Mikan snarled at him, glaring like there was no tomorrow. Natsume didn't flinch.

Suddenly, Mikan smirked in victory, "Don't forget that I have those pictures! Unless you want your face to be splashed around the camp's hallways, get your ass off of me!" Natsume smirked right back.

"Like I said, no can do, princess. And by the way, I stole those pictures from you some time ago." Mikan's eyes widened considerably. What the hell?!

"T-that i-isn't f-fair!" she stuttered, her breath hitched. What had gone so wrong in her plan?!

Though, in the next few seconds, the weight on her body was lifted, and she gasped in relief. She sat up, seeing Natsume thrown back a few feet away, his eyes brimming with anger. She gulped, turning to look at her girls.

Hotaru was smirking, Aoi was frowning, Anna and Nonoko held each other's hands, eyes wide with shock and fear. In Hotaru's hands was a gun with a strange boxing glove strapped to it. She was guessing that was what had thrown the menace off of her.

"Ho-Hotaru...?" Mikan turned to the girl in question, walking to stand beside them. Aoi grabbed a hold of Mikan's hands, her eyes clearly showed concern.

"M-Mikan-chan..? Are you okay?" Mikan smiled reassuringly at the younger girl, "Thank goodness... I thought my creep of a brother would gobble you up!" Mikan laughed humorlessly.

"It was a good thing he didn't, for him at least. Now he wouldn't have to feel the fist in his gut the moment he did!" Aoi laughed, smiling, though that edge of concern in her eyes was evident.

Koko, Ruka, and Yuu stood at the doorway, still motionless. At least, Ruka and Yuu were. Koko was on the floor, laughing his heart out.

"That — was — hilarious!!" He snorted, his eyes brimming with tears of laughter. Mikan's eyes narrowed, her brows arched in a manner that stopped Koko's laughing in a second.

"Just tell me what the hell all you are doing in _my_ dorm?!"

Natsume, at the other end of the room, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and settled into a crouching position, his arm resting on his knee.

"Correction, _our _dorm." Mikan's hair bristled from the electricity gathering. The girls sighed. They really had done it now.

"What about the deal?!" she shrieked. The others flinched at the volume of her voice.

"Cool it girl..." Anna said tentatively, hoping her advice would calm the brunette down. It did not help whatsoever.

Natsume raised an eyebrow, "Deal? More like blackmail." Mikan was struggling in the grip of Anna and Nonoko now, they held her arms back as she tried to lunge at the boy.

"Let me at him...!" she cried, anger in her hazel orbs. Natsume smirked. It was like watching a kitten that thought it was a tiger – woah, real fierce.

Meanwhile, little Aoi walked up to her brother with an angry expression on her face – her eyes were narrowed, her crimson eyes gleamed with fury and her mouth was set into a thin, hard line.

"Well look who it is, its little _Buriko_," Natsume drawled out in boredom, though his dull crimson irises showed a little spark in them, "Never knew you hung out with them Barbie dolls." He smirked at this, portraying his pearly white teeth. Aoi rolled her eyes.

"Nice to see you, darling _Onii-chan_." Aoi said, venom in her voice, as she sarcastically copied his tone of voice. Natsume narrowed his eyes.

"Great to see you're finally respecting me now," Natsume said, smirking. Aoi growled.

"Oh, brother dearest, I've always respected you for the _jerk _you are."

"Ooh's" and jeering filled the room as Koko and the rest of the boys laughed at Aoi's comeback.

"You gotta admit it, man, she got you there," Ruka said, a light smile etched on his lips as Yuu fixed his glasses nervously and Koko was bawling out in laughter.

Natsume growled at them to keep quiet and frowned, sighing, "Look, what's your problem, Buriko?" Aoi flinched. She had always hated that nickname.

"I don't have a problem! And stop calling me Buriko!" she yelled, her hands stationed at her waist.

"Sheesh, you're as loud as that idiot over there, " he gestured at Mikan, then covered his ears with his hands, "No wonder you befriended her so easily." Aoi sighed.

"Look, just get out okay?" She gave up on him, if he was going to be stubborn, then so was she.

"How many times have I told you before? No can do," He said, hoisting his legs up on the table, hands behind his head, "We'll be staying here the rest of your little sleepover, hope you don't mind."

Mikan's mouth dropped open, and this time, she didn't bother to close it. Heck, if a bug came flying right in, that would be better, so she could spit it right in Hyuuga's face. Oh, how that cold-hearted evil beast deserved it.

* * *

**Wee! Another chapter done! I'm happy now! I updated on three things at around this time! XD Not exactly in this day, but whatever. I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter, I enjoyed writing it. **

**Hey everyone! Christmas is coming soon! Are you all excited? I know I am. One thing to warn you guys on, since I love you all, I'll inform you on this. **

**You know Santa Clause, right? The big, fat old man in the white beard? Yeah, him. He's a stalker. Don't believe me? Here are evidences against him. **

**1. He knows where you live. (Seriously, how does he get your presents on time for Christmas?)**

**2. He has a Death Note for all those kids in the "Naughty List". (Watch out, Santa, L is coming to get you!)**

**3. He abuses animals. (Poor, poor reindeers!) **

**4. He can get into your house undetected. (Again, how does he get in if we don't have chimneys anymore? That just shows how much of a stalker he is) **

**5. He has clones all over the world, those most commonly found in your everyday malls.**

**6. He knows when you are sleeping.**

**7. He knows when you're awake.**

**And last, but not least...**

**8. Doesn't he get a little bit **_**too**_** comfy with those kids on his lap? **

**Anyway, now you get it, right? You guys get my point? So, now you now, don't leave cookies and milk for him anymore! You all know the truth. **

**I updated on Roommates?, the grand finale, the final chapter. And, to celebrate on that, I posted a new, tragic sappy, oneshot that I knew wasn't good. So much for the great celebration gift. Sheesh, I knew I could have done better than that... Sigh... Oh well, hopefully I'll do a better job in the next chapter.**

**Hey, all the songs in this chapter, I absolutely adore. And have you guys watched Twilight yet? I have. It was... okay... Could have been better though. Not bad, not extremely good. My favorite scene was the baseball one. **

**So, do you mind clicking on that button right below? Yeah, that one. Just type something... encouraging or something to push me on! It helps a lot, really. I get super happy when I read reviews, and trust me, I read each and every one. **

**PS: I love funny reviews, okay? So don't be shy in giving me one. *****winks***

**xoxo,**

**You know you love me, **

**Tearless Sonnet/Isa **

**(c) All rights reserved, 2008 **


	8. The Cell War and the Truce

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gakuen Alice... boohoo for me.

* * *

**Written by: **Tearless Sonnet

**My Music Camp**

_Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the spaces between the notes and curl my back to loneliness. _

—_**Tearless Sonnet—**_

* * *

**Measure Eight: The Cell War, the Charlie Brown, and the Truce**

* * *

Words couldn't bother describing Sakura Mikan's rage. Nope, nothing, zip, nadda. The girl in question was absolutely fuming in frenzy. Her face was an admirable shade of red even a tomato would be proud of. Her hands were clenched into tight fists all the while those dirty scoundrels flounced around her dormitory. She was going to lose it soon. And none of her helpful friends could do anything to stop her.

They had tried, of course, but to no avail. They fanned her, encouraged her that something good was to come of this, and even shook her well and hard. Nothing helped.

"Mikan!" cried Anna, now fanning herself as she watched the boys wreck the dorm, "Let's just get out of here!" And suddenly, the simplest solution came into the girls' minds. That is, except Hotaru, who had already thought of it, but thought it needless to voice her idea.

Mikan's hazel eyes brightened considerably, and she smiled in triumph. Natsume sat on her favorite armchair, his arms behind his back and his feet atop the expensive coffee table, eyeing her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"That's it, girls!" she murmured, gathering the girls into a tight circle. The boys couldn't give head or tail of what they were talking about, "Let's ditch this place!"

They all smiled, glad that the nearly erupting volcano had cooled down last minute. Anna ceased fanning herself, Nonoko sighed in relief, the creases in Aoi's forehead smoothed, and Hotaru rubbed her temples. This was really giving her a serious migraine.

They nodded, agreeing to the plan, and stalked off quietly to the door. The rest of the boys didn't notice their attempt at to escape, but one Hyuuga boy did, unfortunately.

"Woah, woah, woah. Hold up little girl. Where do you think you're going?" He said, grabbing the back of Mikan's collar, pulling her to him. She kicked and struggled, putting up a fight. Natsume was unaffected.

The other girls stopped in their tracks. They couldn't let a fellow member of their team get left behind. That simply wouldn't do.

"Let – me – go!" Mikan cried, her face quickly turning a different shade now. Natsume smirked, not loosening his grip on her collar even a little bit.

He tugged her into the armchair and set her down on his lap. And to her utmost surprise, he began rubbing the small of her back in a circular motion. Mikan stiffened. She couldn't see his face, but she was sure he was smirking like hell.

A silence lapsed the whole group. Mikan's face was white for once, instead of red. She froze, on his lap, still pale as a ghost.

Anna's hand was placed over her mouth, stifling a gasp. Aoi's eyes were wide, how could her brother do this? Nonoko looked like she was in the conflict of fainting and taking Mikan away from the boy. Hotaru, on the other hand, was smirking and taking pictures with her phone.

A small murmur was heard from her as she checked the results, "Hm... Good... Not a great quality though. I'll have to buy," she winced at the dreaded word, "a professional camera..." Her face relaxed at the prospect of gaining more money from the photos. It would help make up for the lost money.

Mikan was still as motionless a statue, heck even pale as one, too! Natsume didn't stop his 'massage' and nuzzled his face into her neck. She paled more, if that was possible.

Finally realizing her situation and was able to move her body, Mikan yelped and jumped away from him. Natsume smirked, licking his lips.

"Hyuuga Natsume! Get that dirty smile off of your face this instance!" Aoi yelled, infuriated and ashamed that her brother would do that to one of her best friends, of all people!

"Come on girls!" Aoi called, "Let's get the hell out of this rat-invested hole!" Then, she shot an apologizing look at Mikan, "Um, no offense, Mikan-chan..." Mikan smiled and chuckled weakly, striding towards the door in a hurry to get out of her own personal hell.

Natsume raised an eyebrow. He wasn't going to let his prey escape him so easily. He stood up to grab the hem of Mikan's blouse, this time, but Aoi painfully slapped his hand away, "Don't. You. Dare."

And for once, Hyuuga Natsume watched in shameful silence as the so-called "Barbie Dolls" just steamrolled his huge ego.

* * *

Mikan sighed, wearily dipping her nacho into some dip. She dragged the chip in a circular motion in the small bowl that held the dip. She didn't stop.

"Mikan! Mikan!" Nonoko cried out at her, as the chip was now submerged in dip while Mikan's hand was almost touching the mixture inside.

"...Huh?" She said, as she looked up from her musings. She noticed the chip almost drowned in the dip. Her eyes still seemed as dreary and tired as the past few minutes, "Oh..." She withdrew her hand (with it, her poor nacho, looking very gross) and shrugged. It looked like she carried the world on her shoulders. And then she ate it.

Anna, Nonoko, and Aoi shrieked, wringing their hands out, as if they were the ones who had eaten the chip.

"Eew!" Aoi said, her eyebrows scrunched up together, "That is like, so _gross_!"

They had transferred their sleepover to Anna and Nonoko's dorm, now currently squished up together in a huge purple beanbag sofa, munching on chips and snacks.

Mikan had been in a dismal moon ever since they had transferred. What had gone so wrong in her plans? Everything had gone so perfectly... and now this! And, that... experience with Hyuuga Natsume had made it all the more worse.

The brunette sighed at this, munching on another nacho, her comfort food. The rest of the girls had noticed her downright behavior, of course. What kind of best friends were they? The best of the best, of course.

Aoi decided to end her moping right then and there. Standing up, she pulled a bewildered Mikan to her feet. Shaking her vigorously, she spoke directly in her face, "Look here, Sakura Mikan! You better listen to me! That stupid idiot-head of a brother of mine is absolutely nothing compared to you!" She took off her steel grip on Mikan's poor shoulders. Lifting her right arm way up high, she took off again, "This, here, is you. At the top of the 'awesomeness chain'." She lowered her left arm way, way down, and spoke again, "Now, this. This is _the arse hole. _The arse hole of arse holes. He is nothing compared to you!" Mikan knew exactly who this arse hole was.

Smiling hugely, she giggled, "I get it, Aoi. Thank you. You're the best." She hugged the girl.

Aoi scoffed, "I better be!" All the girls laughed at this, maybe this sleepover would be as great as they hoped it would be.

"Let's go listen to something, I wanna get up and dance!" Nonoko cried, twirling on her feet. Certainly, the little scene before them set them energetic and hyper.

"Sure, no problem." Mikan said, laughing as she placed a CD in the boom box.

* * *

_Play Love Lockdown by Kanye West_

* * *

"Woo!" Anna cried, jumping up as soon as the music started. They moved their body to the music and felt as though energy were flowing through their blood. And, maybe, it was.

"Phew!" Nonoko sighed, wiping off imaginary sweat on her forehead and collapsed on the sofa.

"No, you naughty girl!" Mikan cried, pulling the girl up to her knees, "We're not done yet!"

A familiar sounding music filled the air from the boom box. Mikan smiled, "Well, how do you know?"

The girls suddenly felt recharged, jumping up and dancing the Charlie Brown. They couldn't do it well, but no problem, Mikan taught them.

"AWESOME!" Aoi cried, her heart thumping erratically, "I love the Charlie Brown!"

* * *

Natsume growled. He wasn't happy. Not at all, "Crap." He swore, uttering more profanities, not bothering to keep his voice down.

"Yo, chill man!" Koko called, flipping through the channels in the huge plasma TV, "Aw, damn! There's nothing good on!" He sighed in defeat.

Ruka was on the sofa, petting his bunny, "Who's a cutie? You are! Yes, you are!" Natsume rolled his eyes in annoyance at his best friend's behavior, though it was the usual. He was just feeling pissed more than usual.

Yuu was settled beside Ruka, flipping through pages in a thick book, "Hm... A particular disc can be made to rotate at 2 different speeds. If it were made to rotate slower by 135 revolutions per hour, it would require an additional 2.7-hour to make 315 revolutions. Find the higher speed at which it can operate..." he murmured to himself, reading the word problem. He mused for a second, trying to answer the problem. His eyes brightened as he calculated the answer, "35 revolutions per hour, excellent!"

Koko, lying on his back, gawked as he stopped changing channels, "What the hell?"

Yuu fixed the glasses perched on his nose, "What is the problem, Koko?" Koko rolled his eyes at his reply, and continued gawking.

"That thingymajiggy! What's it? Right, 55 revaluation per mile is the answer to... a Frisbee that rotates slower by 13 revaluations? And then, you add an additional 5...? How does that end up as 55 revaluations per mile? I don't get it!" Koko protested, throwing his hands up in the air as an act of defeat.

"Stupid..." Natsume muttered. Sure, they were his boys, but sometimes, they got on his nerves.

He turned his attention away from the boys, thinking of a way to get back at the girls for squishing his ego into a paper-thin pancake.

* * *

"Hey, did you guys know that if you hit your head hard, you lose a single brain cell every time?" Aoi said, sipping on a banana smoothie.

"What?" Mikan said, sprawled on the sofa, pillows surrounding her, like a fort. They were watching a television series, _Gossip Girl._

"Did you know that – " Aoi repeated, but Mikan interfered, cutting into her sentence.

"Yes, yes, I heard you the first time." Aoi's eyebrows scrunched together, she was confused.

"Huh? Then why – " Mikan cut into her sentence again, shrugging her slim shoulders.

"I mean, 'what' as in, that's not possible." She said, as if stating the obvious. The other girls were lying flat on the velvet carpet.

Hotaru rolled her eyes, "Stupid..." she muttered, sure, they were her girls, but sometimes, they got on her nerves.

"Yes it is!" Aoi protested, pouting as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes brightened at a thought. Mikan's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Something was up. Aoi got up, walking over to the sofa. A voice in Mikan's head screamed at her to run.

"And I'll prove it!" She tapped Mikan's head smartly with her knuckle, "You just lost one brain cell!"

Mikan's eyes narrowed even more. Not to mention the knock on her head had messed up her hair, but it _hurt _as well, dammit!

She'd get back at her, for sure. Slowly reaching out her hand, she poked Aoi hard in her stomach, "Tummy cell!" Aoi yelped in pain and surprise, but laughed in the end. Mikan laughed with her, too. And that was what started the Cell War.

"Shoulder cell!" Poke.

"Pinkie finger cell! Now you can't use both pinkie fingers to poke me now!" Poke.

"Hey, no fair! I'll get your index finger then!" Poke, "Index finger cell!"

"AYYA! I'll get you back for that!" Poke, "Eyebrow cell!"

"What the...? Eyebrow cell?! Ugh... fine. There!" Poke, "Feet cell!"

"Actually, its foot cell, since you poked only one of them... HEY!" Poke.

"Haha! Got you! Nose cell!"

Soon, not only Aoi and Mikan were caught up in the Cell War, but the rest of the girls, excluding Hotaru, who, of course, was documenting the entire episode, were taking part in the War, too.

But, in their laughter and fun, they hadn't noticed the door opening and shutting quietly.

"Butt cell." Mikan felt a poke in her butt. She stiffened.

Gasps filled the room. Mikan looked up to see no other than You-Know-Who (who is not Voldemort!)

Mikan frowned, "_Apologize_, Hyuuga."

Natsume rolled his eyes and sat down beside the brunette, "Look here, I've been thinking." Mikan snorted.

"Thinking? Such a great accomplishment for you..." Natsume shot her a glare; she smirked, shrugging, "Well? It was."

"Anyway, I've been thinking – _shut up_ – and I've decided to call a truce." Mikan's giggling stopped short.

"W-what?!" She stuttered, her eyes narrowing. She didn't trust Natsume and his 'truces', "And what makes you think I want a truce?"

Natsume smirked, here was the catch. He poked her butt again. Mikan froze, "Simple enough, to stop me from doing that."

Mikan sighed in defeat. She knew he always got his way. What made the difference now?

"Truce?"

"Truce."

And they shook on it.

* * *

**And again, I'm sorry, but this was such a short chapter! I don't think the next one will be much longer... I'm really sorry... **

**Anyway, what do you think of all the scenarios that happened? Love it? Hate it? Love to hate it? **

**So, whatever, but please review! **

**- Tearless Sonnet/Isa**

**© All rights reserved 2008 **


	9. Confused

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gakuen Alice.

* * *

**Written by: **Tearless Sonnet

**My Music Camp**

_Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the spaces between the notes and curl my back to loneliness. _

—_**Tearless Sonnet—**_

* * *

**Measure Nine: Confused**

* * *

Truces, in Mikan's perspective, were the greatest thing to hit the planet. Not only did the fearsome Hyuuga Natsume stop flirting with her at any given chance he saw fit, moreover, he actually defended his own sister sometimes. Sometimes. But Mikan had a sneak suspicion this happiness wasn't going to last forever.

Mikan frowned as she drank her orange juice with disdain, "Sour. Too sour." Her face was scrunched up in dislike. She took another slurp through her bendy straw and shrugged, "Might as well. It _would_ be a waste." Draining the cup with a few long slurps, she sighed and leaned back into her chair.

Life had been peaceful ever since the truce had been activated. A little _too_ peaceful. Sure, she was happy with the quiet and being finally able to relax without watching her back for any surprise attacks from Natsume, but she couldn't ignore the tiny voice in her head yelling at her that something was very wrong here. She just didn't know what.

"I don't know what you're so stressed about." Anna said, painting her toenail a hot pink, "Nothing's been happening lately. It gets kind of boring." She bent over to blow her nails feverishly. Taking another deep breath, she blew again.

Nonoko watched her friend struggle with drying her nails and flipped another page in the magazine she was reading, "The fan helps too, you know."

Anna rolled her eyes, switching on the fan with her nose held high, "I knew that." Mikan giggled, setting her cup in between her legs and tying her hair up with a rubber hand secured on her wrist.

"I'm gonna jog a bit, girls. Wanna come?" She stood up and tied her shoelaces before walking to the door. Nobody followed after her. She looked at them over her shoulder. Anna had a look of contempt as she placed her feet in front of the fan, Nonoko continued flipping through pages of a fashion magazine, Aoi was switching channels aimlessly, and Hotaru was looking at her negatives, "None of you?"

Anna looked at her innocently for a moment before watching the fan dry her nails again, "Nope, sorry Mi-chii. Nails need drying supervision." Mikan laughed before turning to the others with a pleading look on her face.

"How 'bout you guys?" She threw in her puppy-dog pout to emphasize the need, just for the fun of it. She really didn't need company from her friends, though it would be pleasurable.

Nonoko turned another page in the magazine, "Hey, did you know that bitch is the new black?" Mikan rolled her eyes.

"Then I don't want to be the new black." She replied, sticking out her chin. Hotaru kept her eyes on the negatives, and didn't respond. Aoi, still flipping channels on the TV, shrugged, "That just means Luna is always up-to-date on things." She scoffed.

"Me neither," Aoi said, pausing for a second longer on a channel with Fear Factor showing, "Can you believe this? That guy's practically _drowning_ in snakes!" She shivered in disgust. After all, who would want to be stuck in a tank of _snakes_, of all things? "Those people are retarded."

Anna twirled a strand of cotton-candy pink hair with her finger, "Retarded? They're only in for it for the cash..." She rolled her eyes and squealed when she nearly rubbed her foot against the carpet, "Gosh, that scared me... Damn instincts..."

Hotaru still hadn't said a word since the conversation had started and turned her back on them. Mikan sighed, and turned to Aoi, "Hey, you're not doing anything. Nothing's good on TV anyway. Let's go jog!" Aoi hadn't turned away from the TV.

"OMG! Did you just see the way that snake wrapped around his arm? Damn, they must be desperate for that prize money..." At this, Hotaru swiveled around to glare at Aoi straight in the eye. Oops. "Not that any of it applies specifically to you, Hotaru-chan!" _Gotta be careful with the 'm-word' around this chic... _

Mikan laughed before sighing in defeat. There was no point in asking Hotaru to join, so she didn't bother, "Well, okay then... Here I go... Out the door... All alone..." She took slow steps toward the doorway, her voice in dramatic sadness. It had no visible affect on her friends whatsoever. A vein throbbed on her head before she sighed dramatically, "Half way there..."

Anna turned to her, and she smiled happily. _Finally! Someone who actually_ cares _about me! _"Good for you, Mi-chii! Off you go!" Anna turned back to watching her nails without a care in the world. Mouth agape and eyes wide, poor Mikan sniffled as she went out the door, her head down.

The day was cool and breezy — perfect for jogging. She ran along the camp vicinity, the huge grass area near the stage. The area at the time was deserted, nobody roamed around that part of the camp, so it was peaceful and quiet, nothing but the quiet noises of wildlife and nature. This was what Mikan knew as Mother Nature's way of telling us to shut up and look around. The earth around us was much more interesting than it seemed.

Slipping her iPod out of her pocket, she scrolled down the selection of songs and settled on some classical music — Claire de Lune. She sighed in contempt at the beautiful piece as she jogged around the area. Before she knew it, time had passed and she had to get back to her dorm. She walked back, still in no hurry, and took her time.

"S-Sakura-san!" Turning to look over at who had called her, Mikan saw a dark-haired girl run up to her, an embarrassed look on her face. Mikan stopped in her tracks, waiting for the girl to catch up to her.

"Yes?" Mikan said, smiling pleasantly. The girl certainly was very pretty — she had dark curly hair and a set of ravishing misty grey eyes. The girl didn't seem older than her by much, maybe a year or two in advance. The girl was clad in a pink blouse and jeans, with dirty white tennis shoes on. She fidgeted with her hair a lot, and looked nervous.

"I-I... um... I'm Ibaragi N-Nobara... I'm supposed t-to tell you the t-theme of the first round of the m-music competition... Um, o-one of the teachers asked me to i-inform you about it..." The girl certainly stuttered a lot, too. She fiddled with her hair silently, refusing to look her in the eye.

"Thank you, Ibaragi-san. You can just call me Mikan." Mikan grinned happily. Nobara seemed very nice, and maybe, they could hang out some time. Nobara, in turn, blushed heavily and nodded slightly.

"T-then, it must b-be custom for you to c-call me Nobara..." She fumbled with her hair again, "That is, i-if you don't w-want to..." Mikan shook her head rapidly, clutching at Nobara's hands, much to the latter's intense surprise.

"No, no! I'd love to, thanks Nobara-chan!" Mikan chirped happily, jumping up and down. Nobara looked sheepish, and smiled gently. Looks like the little brunette has made yet another friend in the camp.

After a blink of two, Mikan remembered the actual purpose of Nobara seeing her, "What was theme, then?" Nobara's cheeks tinted a light pink in embarrassment; she had forgotten the true purpose of calling Mikan. Mikan tilted her head to one side, a curious look on her face. Nobara smiled; this girl was really cute.

"Here is the p-paper..." Nobara handed Mikan a folded sheet of paper from her pocket shyly. Mikan nodded and thanked her happily, "Y-you're welcome..." Mikan smiled and hugged Nobara, again, to the latter's surprise.

"I'll see you later, Nobara-chan!" And with that, the brunette took off.

"She really is quite a cute girl..." Nobara murmured to herself, as she set off back to her dormitory with a small smile on her face, "Very cute."

* * *

"Open the damn frickin' thing, Sakura!" Nonoko yelled, trying to snatch the paper from Mikan's hands. Sticking her tongue out at the girl, Mikan grinned mischievously and evaded the attack.

"Nah uh!" Mikan playfully taunted the girl, running around the dorm, waving the paper like a flag. Nonoko chased her around, yelling after her.

"Don't you want to know what the theme is, too?!" Nonoko cried, dodging a flying sock thrown her way by Mikan. Oh, this girl was _so_ going to get it. Chasing after her as fast as she could go, Nonoko jumped onto the couch, intercepting Mikan's way. Mikan stuck her tongue out at her again.

"Yes, I do." A mischievous glint in her eye told Nonoko that Mikan was up to no good, "In fact, I already know." With an enraged growl, Nonoko pounced on Mikan. The other girl shrieked, laughing and clutching the paper for dear life. Anna, Hotaru, and Aoi watched the scene with amused eyes. They really couldn't stop being kids, could they? Apparently, as Nonoko tickled Mikan unmercifully, they couldn't.

"Victory!" Nonoko cried, disheveled and breathless, holding up the paper like it was a trophy. Mikan laid on her back, clutching her stomach in laughter. The paper, now crumpled and dirty, looked nothing short of a perfect example of what to throw in the garbage bin. Absolutely wonderful trophy material.

Standing up haggardly, Mikan collapsed onto the sofa, still breathless. Hotaru rolled her eyes, "Very mature, don't you think?" Mikan smiled happily.

"Yes, _very_." Hotaru sighed. There really was no point arguing with the girl; she'd just find a way to make herself seem right. Brushing away a strand of ebony hair, Hotaru frowned. She knew this 'truce' or whatever was not what she wanted. She had a feeling that, if they went through with this truce, it would not end well. She couldn't afford Mikan getting hurt, at least, not this way.

Mikan's dorm was now, literally, trashed. Clothes, food, and toilet paper littered the floors, furniture misplaced and some, broken. Where Natsume and his gang had disappeared off to, they didn't know, and didn't bother to find out. There was no point really. Just because they were in on the truce didn't mean they could make them clean up their own mess. Mikan sighed.

"Natsume won't like coming home to this." She said, frowning. Aoi smirked.

"You know what, Mikan? You're sounding exactly like a house wife." Mikan glared at the girl, an eyebrow raised. House wife? What was she doing now, preparing his dinner and washing his socks? Hell no. She shoved Aoi lightly on the shoulder.

"Don't push it." Mikan said, her eyes narrowing as Aoi smirked, brushing her hair from her shoulder in mock haughtiness.

"You know it, girl." Aoi saluted, a cocky grin on her face. Mikan laughed, wiping tears of mirth from her hazel eyes.

"You know what, Aoi? A second there you looked like your brother!" This time, Aoi straightened her back, leaning against the girl, and frowned. Looked like her brother? _When hell freezes over_, she thought wryly, a smirk gracing her face.

"There you are, doing it again!" Mikan said, a mockingly surprised look on her face, "I've always known you had a sibling connection." Aoi's eyes narrowed dangerously. This girl was taking it too far.

"Oh? Then that must mean you would be sister-in-law, even if that quote unquote 'sibling connection'" she rolled her eyes, flexing two of her fingers at the same time, "exists or not. And I assure you," she gave a pointed look at her, "it doesn't."

Mikan smiled graciously, "You got me there." She held her hands up in defeat, sighing as she watched Aoi turn back to flipping channels. As if forgetting something important, Anna and Aoi turned to Mikan with excited faces.

"Oh, right, the theme!" Aoi said, "I forgot about that!" She turned to Nonoko, who was fixing her messy hair with a victoriously smug smile on her face, "What is it?" Nonoko smirked, handing over the now folded again sheet of crumpled paper to her. Anna, itching to see the paper too, kept on clasping and unclasping her hands together. Aoi unfolded the paper too slowly for her liking. She frowned, grabbing the paper from her hands. After ignoring a cry of indignation from Aoi, Anna opened the paper with lighting fast speed. Aoi huffed, pouting with her arms crossed. She wasn't _that_ slow, was she?

* * *

_Dear participators of the Hyuuga Corporation's Music Competition, _

_Please be informed that the first round of the competition will take place in the Camp's Auditorium, as where all performances are located. _

_The date as to which you are to be performing is two weeks from now, and hopefully by then you are prepared and ready for your presentation. _

_The theme all competitors are to appeal to is this: _

_**Loss**_

_Thank you very much for your most appreciated cooperation. _

_Sincerely, _

_The Camp Staff_

* * *

"Can I read it now?" Aoi said, frowning. She wasn't exactly the patient type. Anna nodded, shuffling the paper into her hand. Aoi smiled victoriously, "Oh, so the theme is sacri — _rip_ — oops."

Nonoko glared at her, snatching the sheet out of her hands. Aoi smiled sheepishly, shrugging, "It looked like trash before I laid my hands on it." Nonoko rolled her eyes, examining the paper carelessly.

"Oh well," she muttered, "at least I read it already." A smirk grazed her face, and she handed the paper back to Aoi.

Mikan sighed, flopping down on the floor and twisting to lie down on her stomach. Oh, damn it. She had homework that day. Unfortunately, she had been skipping out on her assignments and homework, cramming when she needed. This, however, was a free day, and she was going to use her time wisely. Groaning, she stood up and grabbed her bag, tucked in the vast softness that was the sofa. Plopping down on the floor again, she lazily took out her books, notebooks, and her pencil case with a grumpy look on her face. Hotaru, an eyebrow cocked in exasperation at Mikan's writing materials and notebooks, rolled her eyes.

"Bunnies?" she said, picking up a cute bunny eraser from Mikan's (kitty-designed, not to mention) pencil box. Seriously, _bunnies_? Was she turning into Ruka now?

Apparently, it was obvious that dear Ruka had a... thing for animals. That is, if you count the cooing and googley-eyeing he portrayed towards his animal buddies as a 'thing'.

"Ah..." Mikan mumbled sleepily as she flipped a page of her notebook, "I've got to finish that homework for Narumi, too..." She groaned, rolling over on her back. Why did she have so much homework?

"Then there's that essay for Jinno! Why must the cruel teachers gang up on me?!" Mikan blew away a strand of hair in her face, pouting, "ARGH! This camp is more like a school! And I thought I could get away from studying during the summer..."

"Idiot..." Hotaru murmured, rolling her eyes as Mikan began rolling around on the floor wailing, 'I don't wanna study!' repeatedly. Anna and Nonoko watched and laughed nervously. Was their friend always this childish? Answer: yes, she was.

"Uh... I'll just finish it tomorrow... It's not due till 3 days from now, right? I'll do it then." Mikan said, closing her eyes for a moment, "Boy, am I tired." Hotaru smirked. _Right_. Sipping orange juice and lounging around watching television all day was a real energy drainer.

Mikan suddenly stood up, her eyes filled with vigor, "Hey, do we have any Pocky?" Aoi looked at her blankly. Just a second ago, she was whining about how tired she was, and now?

Nobody had answered the brunette's question, so she pouted and went into the kitchen. Mikan pulled open the cabinet doors excitedly, only to be met with a disappointing sight. She frowned, sticking her head into the cabinet, tossing chips and boxes away, one by one.

"Not Pocky..." she said, throwing a bag of potato chips out of the cabinet impatiently.

"Not Pocky..." she said again, this time launching a box of Oreos onto the kitchen counter perfectly, without her noticing it. It landed with a loud thump, but Mikan didn't care.

"Not... Pocky..." she said angrier, flinging a bunch of snacks and candies behind her back unhappily, "UGH! Is there no single box of Pocky in this household! ... Eh... dorm hold? " She stomped her foot on the ground, her arms crossed. That was it. She was going to get her Pocky. Now.

Grabbing her jacket from the hanger by the door, she tied on some chucks and headed out the door, her wallet tucked snugly in her back pocket. Looking over her shoulder, Anna watched in confusion as Mikan headed out the door, not looking back, "Where are you going?" Still facing forward, Mikan shrugged, pointing to the kitchen grouchily. Comprehension dawned on Anna's face as she nodded, turning back to the television. The quiet shut of the door caused Aoi's attention.

"Where's Mikan?" she said, fruitlessly searching the room for the brunette. Anna, Nonoko, and Hotaru smirked.

"Pocky."

* * *

After taking a bus towards Central Town, a shopping district located inside the camp's vicinity, Mikan walked briskly down the streets toward the grocery store. Muttering incoherent words to herself that suspiciously sounded like 'Pocky', she ignored the many vendors and people who had bumped into her with an aura of indifference.

"Miss?" An old man beckoned to her in his stall as he handed a child a red balloon, "Would you fancy a balloon?" Not turning in his direction, Mikan shook her head.

"Must. Get. Pocky." She whispered just enough for only the elderly man to hear, and walked away without another word. The old man stared after her with a look of utter bewilderment.

Scoffing indignantly, the man turned to a small girl and handed her a pink balloon, "Here you go, lassie." The girl smiled and gave him a penny, turning around and skipping to her mother happily. Shaking his head disappointedly, the man sighed, "Ah, teenagers these days—they wouldn't recognize a perfectly decent balloon if it bit them on the nose."

Ah, so, well... moving on, Mikan rushed inside the grocery store, a wry smirk on her face as she waited impatiently for the automatic doors to swish open once she had come of a 5-feet radius of the entrance._ I am _so_ not going to shop in _Igor's_ ever again. _

The doors flew open in a matter of seconds, and Mikan hurried in, scanning the sections for Pocky. She reached the 'Snacks' aisle, and with a quick eye, she rummaged around for familiar-looking boxes. She did give a hasty look-over of the store, and must admit, she was impressed.

The grocery, no doubt, was like a high-tech Heaven compared to—_insert scoff here_—_Igor's_. With the automatic doors, the clean surroundings, the polite employees always stationed nearby every aisle, the high-quality products that were always stacked neatly and in alphabetized shelves, the excellent air-conditioning (which wasn't too cold or too warm, like that other bullshit of a store), and the—hallelujah!—smooth, techy shopping carts, which moved like it was on ice, this grocery was a hell of a damn better place than _Igor's_.

But Mikan couldn't be bothered by all the high-tech splendor. She wouldn't be distracted from what she had to do—what she _needed_ to do. Desperately scavenging the shelves for Pocky, she scowled at each Pocky-less shelf.

On her sixth shelf, however, she finally found it. Whooping with glee, she beamed happily. But, unfortunately, there were only two boxes left—strawberry and chocolate. Mikan huffed, shrugging as she snatched them both and threw them into her cart. She sped towards the nearest free check-out counter, heaving the two small boxes onto the counter. The receptionist looked at her as if she had a third eye, and she couldn't be blamed for it. Mikan looked a mess; her hair was messy and disheveled, her eyes had a crazed sort of relieved look in them, she was breathing heavily as she had as if she had just run a marathon, and, and... she was positively screwed.

"H-here!" Mikan practically hurled the cash at the lady behind the counter, who caught it in surprise, glaring at Mikan as she did so, "And hurry, please!"

_Fine, if it gets you out of this place quicker, _the woman thought reluctantly, checking the boxes of Pocky and typing the numbers on the register as swiftly as she could. She handed her the change and shuffled the boxes, now in a white plastic bag, to her and before she knew it, Mikan was gone.

Mikan sighed in satisfaction as she walked along the deserted streets. A draft blew past her, and she shivered, hugging her plastic bag of Pocky against her chest protectively. She sighed again, walking steadily forward. Unusually, there weren't many people around—usually, the Town was crowded with people, today, however, Central Town was cleared of mankind, besides the few random vendors and such. Even the balloon man was gone. _Oh well_, she thought, shrugging, _doesn't really matter to me._

Mikan, now assured of her stash of Pocky, was much more civil at this point. Certainly, Pocky had this effect on her that drew her in—it was like a sort of drug. Or maybe honey to a bee. And was this bad? Yes, yes it was. Had she tried to stop? Hell no.

She passed a corner of the street, and her sensitive ears heard the faint music coming from somewhere near. The music was modern, rap and the like. She followed the music to a desolate alleyway. She knew things like this weren't good for someone like her, an innocent, little girl. But, however, her feminine curiosity took the better of her and she approached the source of the music.

* * *

_Play I'mma Shine by YoungBloodZ_

* * *

Wow. Just, _wow_. She knew he was good, he had to be good to get in the camp in the first place. She knew he was damn good, too—check it, he was hell of a great dancer! She watched him herself, back in the dance studio. But to see him in his real zone? To see him for once, in his element? Like what she was watching right now? She had to admit, he was too good to be true.

Hyuuga Natsume just moved like his body was one fire—he danced like there was no tomorrow. She watched him, dancing there with the rest of his friends, moving to the beat of the music. It was different from when she watched him in the dance studio. This time, he didn't look like he was putting everything in his dance. But right now, he looked like he was putting everything he knew in it. Like he was demanded to dance, or be faced with death consequences. Of course, that possibility was a flank, it wasn't very likely. But he was enjoying it. There was no sign of this on his face, but his eyes told everything.

She was hypnotized by him, the way he moved, the way he was in sync to the music, and yet also in sync to the rest of the other dancers. And he looked good—_yummy,_ even—doing it. To think, she was impressed by him at the dance studio, and now? Yeah, she was screwed—big time. Her eyes remained glued to his form, and he saw. He saw her watching him. And he smirked.

* * *

oO **Mikan** Oo

* * *

Of one thing I was absolutely positive—Hyuuga Natsume could dance. I wasn't going to be a prideful little bitch and deny it. He could dance, and he could dance _well. _Sure, he was an egotistical bastard, a rude prick, and a player, but he was one hell of a dancer. That didn't change anything, though. We were on good terms now and I wouldn't make the biggest mistake of my life by actually _falling_ for him. No way.

And so I stood there, transfixed, and watched the show. Natsume was good, great even, and obviously stood out. Don't get me wrong, the others were good as well, but they really couldn't compare to Natsume. And, yet again, that didn't mean anything; I was just appreciating his skills. Nothing wrong with that, is there? Now that we were both civil with each other, we could be called friends, now could we? I didn't find anything wrong with that. Yeah, but I had to make it clear to the guy himself. If he flirts, even just a little bit, the truce is broken. Nothing, zip, nadda could change my mind.

I don't think he noticed me, too caught up in his dance to see me standing there. He smirked however, and caught my eye and I knew that he saw me. I grimaced and stuck my tongue at him. Sure, it was childish and immature, but the arrogant arse deserved it. The truce kept him from flirting with me, attacking me unguarded, and disrupting Aoi's peaceful life, but that didn't mean he couldn't mess with my head. What did I define 'flirting' as? Simple: kissing me wasn't allowed, that much was pretty obvious. Hugging was okay, as long as he meant it as a sign of friendship or if I needed protection or something. Winking, if that didn't have any particular motive besides teasing, was fine. His teasing and arrogance tripled though, as if to make up for the lack of flirting.

I had stumbled along their dance in the middle of the song, and now it was nearly over. After a vast exhibition of difficult and complicated moves, the show came to an end. Natsume's smirk never ceased or hindered, and after chugging down a bottle of water, he walked over to me.

"Enjoyed the show?" he said, almost mocking me with his words. I wouldn't dare tell what I was really thinking to this arrogant guy here, so I scoffed, crossing my arms.

"Yeah, yeah. It was okay." I rolled my eyes, sticking my tongue out at him, "Not _extremely_ awesome though." Even _I_ knew I was lying. He raised an eyebrow, taking a sip from his bottle as he gave me a pointed look.

"Don't deny it. You know I dazzled you beyond comprehension." He smirked, running a hand through his messy raven hair nonchalantly, "Admit it, you don't have to hold it in anymore, like what you've been doing ever since you've met me." I huffed indignantly. Why that conceited, egotistical, vain little bastard...!

I scowled angrily at him, "Narcissism gets you nowhere, Natsume. You should stop before it permanently damages your brain," After a second thought, I added, "...not that it hasn't already." I mentally snickered at him. What're you gonna say now, huh, Mister Hotshot? But to say that I hadn't expected to see him looking completely unaffected, going so far as to even roll his eyes at my attempt to infuriate him, was a lie.

He smirked at me arrogantly, "A narcissist is just someone better looking than you are. And apparently, I'm no exception." I scowled at him, shuffling my plastic bag from hand to hand repeatedly.

I snorted, rolling my eyes. Sometimes, his stupidity was painful, "Uh huh, _right_." He raised an eyebrow critically and took a step closer. I jerked slightly when his hand rested on my shoulder.

"That's all you got?" he smirked, revealing a row of shiny white teeth. Damn; I swiped my tongue over my own teeth, feeling conscious about my dental state. It would be so embarrassing if I opened my mouth to talk and there was a piece of food stuck in between my teeth! Wait, what was I being so self-conscious about? It was only Natsume we were talking about! I shouldn't get so worked up about some measly piece of lunch stuck in my teeth.

His weight on my shoulder increased suddenly, and I looked up at his face. He looked alert and wary, staring at something—or someone—behind me. I looked back, and everything seemed the same as before, deserted and clear of any human life. But this time, it was different. Maybe perhaps, it was the dark aura that swiftly changed the mood in the place, from Natsume to the rest of his friends, or maybe it was my inner voice telling me to stay close to him (and that was terrifying in itself; I mean, why would I want to stick close to _Natsume_, of all people?), or maybe, it was the person standing statue-still a distance away from us. I had a bad feeling it was all of them.

He was still, never moving, never speaking. Tall, I assumed, about Natsume's height and build. I could see his face clearly, though. But his unusual silver hair caught my attention quickly. He was quite good-looking, with his piercing teal eyes. _Strange combination_, I thought, surmising his hair and eyes. _Not bad-looking, though_. Abruptly rotating me behind him, Natsume crouched slightly, almost in a protective stance. I was confused, alright—bloody hell confused.

"Do we get out of here, Natsume?" I jerked slightly as Ruka's voice hissed through the alarmingly quiet venue. Natsume didn't turn to look at him, though the cold glare in his ruby red eyes hardened. I felt like I was in some sort of soap opera, with all the drama and the confusing story plot going on. I didn't know what was happening.

Who was this guy? What did Natsume have to do with him? Ruka and the rest seemed to know about all this, but I sure didn't. Why did I care at all? That was another question. I wasn't included in this, and I might as well escape now before I plunge deeper into this than necessary. Before I plunge deeper into this until it was too late to back out.

I probably shouldn't be fretting over something like this. Maybe this guy was just some ex-boyfriend of a girl Natsume stole from him. At this, my heart hardened. I had had enough of players. Too much of them, actually.

The silence was deafening. Nobody moved, nobody uttered a single sound. I couldn't take it anymore, "What's going on?" I hissed quietly into Natsume's ear, who stiffened, like he hadn't noticed I was there. He didn't speak, his eyes trained onto the mystery person like an assassin on his target, "What's going _on_?" I repeated, harsher and a bit louder now. Natsume shifted his head slightly, just enough to look me in the eye.

"Shut up." He snapped heatedly, turning back to watch again. I blinked twice; this certainly wasn't the Natsume I had been arguing with a few moments ago. The hard planes of his face and tired looking eyes had been lacking the usual gleam. He looked plain stressed-out, and much more older than he really was. Maybe, as the son of a wealthy businessman, he was anticipated to exceed expectations of him. Maybe, it was beginning to be too much. Maybe, he played with women to relieve him of this tension. Maybe, it wasn't working at all. And maybe, he wasn't the least bit happy. So many questions, and dear Lord, all of them unanswered. What could I do to help him? Nothing, nothing at all.

"What do we do now, Natsume?!" Ruka said again, his voice rising in octaves as the panic seeped into his voice clearly. And me? I was glad that someone besides myself was panicking relentlessly about this whole ordeal. Natsume glanced at him for a while, frowning as he contemplated on what action to take next.

I looked over my shoulder, trying to be inconspicuous about it, and steadily watched the others' reaction. They were ramrod straight, their gaze fixated onto the same direction Natsume's was. Ruka was pacing back and forth, randomly demanding Natsume for an order to do next. I wondered, why was this scene so stressful? Why was everyone so tense? What could this person have possibly done to make Natsume and the rest of them so. . . edgy?

Seriously, this was just like one of those cowboy showdown movies my uncle forced me to watch all the time; at one point I half-expected a tumbleweed to come rolling along the deserted streets. I watched them nervously anticipate the next move of the man. And then, he approached us slowly and steadily, an unnerving smile on his face.

And for some peculiar reason, I was downright terrified of that smile.

He neared us slowly, but he never stopped, never looked intimidated by Natsume and the others' glares. He stopped short in front of us, smiling without a care, not even remotely unsettled by what others would have been terrified of.

And _woah_. Up close, he was _really_ handsome. More so than the average male. Kinda like a fairytale prince, with his windswept hair and dreamy blue eyes. He seemed the total opposite of Natsume, who looked like a bad boy that could beat the crap out of you. I'm assuming you get what I mean.

He smiled pleasantly at Natsume, holding out a hand in greeting, "Hyuuga." His voice was undeniably smooth, completely different from Natsume's rough husky voice, in ample sync to his attitude. Natsume's eyes narrowed, a grim look on his face. He pushed me roughly towards Ruka.

"Get her out of here." He murmured so only Ruka would here, "Fast, before this bastard gets a hold of her." What? What exactly did this guy do to make Natsume this. . . uneasy? It must have been really bad, in my standards. Could he be a rapist or something? Did he beat up Hyuuga? Well, the possibility of him being a rapist is very unbelievable. He couldn't be, could he? Nah. And him beating up Hyuuga? Not very likely. I mean, Hyuuga was pretty strong. The way he forcefully kissed me was kinda painful. Oh, well, yeah, that's why he did it _forcefully_. . . Ugh, I'm so stupid. . . Well, this guy over here didn't look like he could harm a fly. Oh, but I'm sure he could, if he wanted, but he probably wouldn't really _want_ to. Ugh! Enough of my mindless babble!

"C'mon, Sakura-san." Ruka mumbled in my ear, grabbing a hold of my arm and tugging me away from the scene. I followed obediently, though I snuck glances at their direction most of the time. But before Ruka could lead me far enough, that silver-haired guy seemed to finally notice my presence. He probably didn't detect me earlier, as I was hidden fully behind Natsume. And taken it, I was small compared to him.

"Hey there, little doggy!" He said, smiling gently at me. I gulped silently, forcing myself not to look him directly in the eye. For some reason, this guy had a pretty intimidating aura, which didn't fit his image at all. I thought, and thought and thought, but nothing made sense. As far as I knew, this man didn't seem any different from decent people I'd known. He seemed too kind to do anything ghastly to Hyuuga Natsume.

Natsume glared at me heatedly, as if daring me to speak one word. I bit my lip, still not looking the silver-haired man in the eye, and grabbed the hem of Ruka's shirt. We started to leave the alley, but the man grabbed my arm, much to Natsume's anger. Actually, he was seething in rage. I've never seen him so angry in my life. My hair stood on end; this man's hands were really cold, and his grip on my arm was tight, uncomfortable. I winced slightly, turning around to face him.

"Now, now, little doggy," he said, a carefree grin on his face. I blanched, remaining silent, "I haven't even had a chance to introduce myself, and you go and leave? That's not very nice." He playfully scowled at me, "The name's Nakamura Makoto, okay? Na-ka-mu-ra Ma-ko-to." He pronounced each syllable slowly and deliberately trying to ease up the tense mood the place was drowning in. Nakamura Makoto, eh? Hm. . . I was at a stand-still, just like a song on pause. I didn't know what was safe; was I able to talk? Move? I was at a complete loss for words, though I had known what to say all in the back of my head, I couldn't get the words out of my mouth. And I thought; this guy wasn't so bad. He was nice, I guess.

Though, from the look on Natsume's face, I wasn't so sure anymore.

"Stay away from her, Nakamura." This was the first thing Natsume had said ever since Nakamura had graced us with his presence. _Shocking_, really. My head automatically whipped toward his direction, to see him looking absolutely murderous. Only God must know the vile things in his mind right about now. I winced visibly at the look on his face, and stared at the ground, nothing more to say. Actually, I had a hell lot more to say: what was going on? What did he do? Why am I involved? But I couldn't dare myself to say them.

Nakamura turned toward Natsume, a skeptical expression planted on his face, "What now, Hyuuga? She another one of your girls?" He drawled lazily, running his hand through his hair casually, as if the burning look of rage on Natsume's face didn't bother him in the slightest. Hyuuga's girl. _That_ struck another nerve. I winced once more. Me? Hyuuga's girl? No way, no way in hell.

Natsume's eyes darkened considerably before he took a step forward. My brows furrowed with concern; what would he do now? Hopefully, nothing that would start a fight. If there was anything in the world that I hated more than evil itself, they were old school fights—the bully and the victim. Though, in this case, I wasn't sure of who was the bully and who was the victim. Both boys, in my eyes, seemed up to par with each other very well. In a full-out fight, I wouldn't be ascertained of who would win the battle—even if I'd already seen what Hyuuga could do. But what I hadn't seen was what Nakamura was capable of.

I flinched when Natsume seized my hand roughly, dragging me away from Nakamura. The others followed, but Nakamura called out after us, "Hey, Hyuuga?" Natsume looked indifferent, but that steely glint in his eye confirmed that he was listening, "You know what? She hasn't changed. Not one little bit." Natsume paused for a while, halting in his tracks. I oh so nearly crashed into him, but thankfully held my ground. Who was this. . . _she__? _I clenched my fists, holding them firmly by my side, trying to conceal my frustration. Somehow, this thought of another _she _in Natsume's life caused me my own personal tension.

"Natsume?" I whispered, trying to look him in the eye. He bowed his head, and I leant up to him, "Hey, Natsume?" I whispered, even more quietly than before. He lifted his head just a tad bit, and I nearly gasped. The look in his eyes were so. . . dead. Lifeless. Not one smidge of any emotion was left. They were blank, almost like the eyes of a corpse, just when its last second of life had already ticked past. He was nothing like the Natsume I had known, or more like, had tried to know. Truth was, I didn't know him at all. I didn't know anything about him; who knew, I was falsely accusing him of these things I wasn't even sure of. Maybe the Natsume I was conversing with, the one I was arguing with, the one I was _living_ with, wasn't the real Natsume at all.

The plastic bag in my hand dropped to the dirty street with a quiet thump, and I didn't reach down to pick it up again.

* * *

**Well, this wasn't as light and full of humor as the other chapters, right? Towards the ending, I mean. I little bit of drama wouldn't hurt anyone, will it? This is a huge change from the other chapters, with all the drama and Mikan's POV in the chapter. I'm not sure if I'll keep on writing in her perspective, but if you'd like it to remain in her POV from now on, please tell me. I'll consider it, if a lot of people prefer her POV to the usual third person's perspective. Personally, I prefer Mikan's perspective. It's a whole lot easier for me to write, but it your choice, really. Oh, and I'm telling you now: Nobara isn't a lesbian! Just because she thinks Mikan's cute, doesn't mean she's in love with her. In the manga, she also finds Mikan really cute. But that's meant in the sort of. . . you know that type of love, possibly a sibling-like love. Okay? Nothing more than that. Well, here's the update you guys wanted. I think this is the longest chapter I've done so far. Hm. . . Haha, I bet you're wondering what will happen in the next chapter, aren't you? Wee! Well, the next chapter won't take as long to be updated (though no promises on this), I think. If I'm not lazy as usual and if I have an urge to be nice, it'll come soon. Just keep praying, kiddos, just keep praying.**

* * *

— _T.S. _


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